Where There is Life, There is Hope
by AnnLiberty
Summary: Tris Prior, daughter of politician Andrew Prior, is a senior in the Dauntless program at Factions High. She takes college classes through a dual-credit program, participates in multiple sports, and harbors a crush on her student teacher. One day Tris is out for a run when a piece of litter changes everything, and she and her loved ones learn the true meaning of 'life' and 'hope'.
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to my next long story! I've been working on this off and on for months. It's fully written, 39 chapters of 2,000-3,500 words each. I'll be updating daily when possible. Keep in mind that I do not own Divergent or its characters. This story is Modern AU, eventual Eris, and Eric is OOC. He's MY version of Eric - big, inked, and tough but tender. Four is a minor character in this story and a friend of Eric's. There's a Pinterest board to go with this story. Look for AnnLiberty (one word) on Pinterest to see the things that inspire me and the visuals that go with my stories.**

**While I love and appreciate each review that my stories get, I do not often respond to them. That's because more often than not my answer would just be "you'll see." But if you have questions or if something is unclear, please go ahead and leave a review or send a PM. I'll answer as I can.**

**Tris Prior, daughter of politician Andrew Prior, is a senior in the Dauntless program at Factions High School. She takes college classes through a dual-credit program, participates in multiple sports, and harbors a secret crush on one of her student teachers. One day Tris is out for a run when a piece of litter on the ground changes everything, and Tris and her loved ones learn the deep meanings of 'life' and 'hope'.**

XXXX

"Mom, I'm home," Tris Prior called as she entered her family's middle-class suburban Chicago home.

"Just in time," Tris' mom, Natalie replied happily, popping her head out from the kitchen to smile at her daughter. "Lunch is ready."

Tris dropped her backpack in the foyer and walked into the kitchen, her blonde ponytail swinging happily behind her. She greeted her mom with a quick hug.

"How was class?" Natalie asked her daughter.

"Good," Tris replied before launching into a story about a group project she was working on in her child psychology class. Tris was in her senior year of high school, but took classes at a local community college in the mornings as part of a dual-credit program that allowed top high school students to earn college credits for free.

The two women nibbled on their sandwiches and soup as they chatted. Natalie enjoyed the way Tris' schedule allowed the two of them to have lunch together most days. Her husband, Andrew, served in the state legislature in the capital of Springfield, over three hours away, so he wasn't around a lot. On top of that, the Priors' older child, Caleb, had just started college, and was halfway across the country, at a prestigious university in Baltimore, where he was studying to be a doctor. The house was quiet, and Natalie and Tris had become closer than ever.

When the two women finished eating, Tris helped her mom with the lunch dishes, then changed into her uniform for her afternoon at Factions High School, a charter school in their Chicago suburb. Factions was a unique school. Students there started in five small middle schools, each with a different emphasis. Candor Middle School emphasized truth, honesty, and frank discussion. Dauntless Middle School focused on physical conditioning and bravery. Amity Middle School revolved around the arts and natural science. Erudite Middle School was the most academically rigorous. The fifth school, Abnegation Middle School, had a conservative culture, and focused on community and public service.

While their middle school enrollment was determined by their parents, students going on to Factions High School made their own choice of program emphasis. At the end of their eighth grade year, students went through personality and IQ testing, plus interviews with advisory staff. Their academic and personal records were closely examined, and advisors recommended which faction or factions would be the best fit for each student. Before moving up to Factions High School and starting their ninth grade year, the students attended a choosing ceremony where they each selected the faction whose course of study they would pursue in high school.

Most students had one obvious course of study that would be the best fit for them. Some had two of near equal possibility, a phenomenon called divergence. Divergent students were treated the same as everyone else, they just had a harder time deciding which program to pursue during their four years of high school. Once the freshmen chose their programs, they couldn't change. If a student decided that the faction system wasn't for them, or if they flunked out of a required class or got in too much trouble, they were kicked out of Factions High and sent to the regular public high school. Factions kids referred to the students at the regular school as the "factionless." Being made factionless was the ultimate punishment at Factions High.

Tris was an anomaly, the first student in history to test with equal aptitude for three of the five faction programs. At the end of her eighth grade year at Abnegation Middle School, Tris tested equally qualified for Abnegation, Erudite, and Dauntless. The Abnegation advisors were so flummoxed by her results that they called in advisors from the other middle schools and the high school. They all came to the same conclusion - Tris was the most divergent student they'd ever seen.

Fortunately for Tris, there was room for a lot of overlap in Factions' programs. At her choosing ceremony she committed to the Dauntless program. That meant that she had her regular state-required general classes with a mixture of classmates from each faction, but she also had the special Dauntless requirements of extra physical education, first aid, and psychology classes.

Dauntless emphasized bravery, physical conditioning, and standing up for others. Dauntless graduates often went into demanding jobs like military service, law enforcement, or trauma nursing. Because of the physical aspect of their training, several Dauntless graduates had gone on to professional sports careers as well. Dauntless' most notable graduate was a war hero who earned the Congressional Medal of Honor, America's highest military award.

Recently, Dauntless was proud to celebrate local hero Zeke Pedrad. Zeke graduated from the Dauntless program at Factions High two years before Tris. From there he went through training to become a fireman. Over the summer, Zeke had risked his own life to rescue a woman in a wheelchair who was unable to escape from a burning building. For his efforts, Zeke suffered burns and smoke inhalation. But he also saved the young woman's life, and the two of them fell in love as they went through recovery together. What had been a nice local fireman-hero news story took on national attention as the love story developed.

Tris was proud of Zeke, both because he was a fellow Dauntless and because he was her friend. Zeke's younger brother, Uriah, was in Tris' grade, and their mom, Hana, was an old friend of Tris' mother. Tris had hung out with the fun-loving fireman and his brother many times over the years. She clipped all the news articles about Zeke's heroics and saved video clips of his TV appearances, too.

.

Once dressed in the all-black Dauntless uniform of athletic bottoms, a top emblazoned with the copper-colored Dauntless flame logo, a track jacket with a smaller Dauntless logo on the shoulder, and athletic shoes, Tris gathered her things for the afternoon and left for school.

It was October, a beautiful month in Chicago. An earlier cold snap had given way to sunny days with temperatures near seventy degrees. The leaves on the trees were brilliant reds, yellows, and oranges, and they were just beginning to fall. Tris took advantage of what might be the last nice days by walking or jogging from her home to the high school each afternoon. She knew that if the weather turned she had plenty of friends who could give her a ride home.

Tris' first class each afternoon was weight training. This class was normally taught by the head football coach, but this year was a little different. Coach Amar was mentoring two student teachers from the local university. After watching Amar lead his classes for a few weeks, the student teachers, Four and Eric, had been given opportunities to teach with the coach's supervision. Now that they were a few months into the school year, Four and Eric were doing all the teaching, and Coach Amar just popped in now and then to check on them.

The female students especially enjoyed the two young trainers. Both were athletes, and it showed in their incredibly toned physiques. Four was tall and of medium build. You could tell he was strong and fit, but he wasn't bulky. His ocean blue eyes reminded one of a fairy tale's prince charming. One day in class he had lifted the bottom of his shirt to wipe his face, and the girls nearly swooned at the sight of his six-pack abs.

Unfortunately, at least in their opinions, Four didn't seem at all interested in the girls - or the guys for that matter. He was aloof and standoffish. Jovial Uriah had tried valiantly all semester to get Four to smile or laugh, but the trainer was as stoic as they came. Some of the more aggressive flirts in the class called him an asshole behind his back because he didn't respond to their many - and obnoxiously obvious - attempts to seduce him.

The other student trainer, Eric, was about the same height as Four, but his larger muscular frame made him seem like a giant. He wore his blonde hair in a fauxhawk style, and had tattoos visible on his neck and forearms. His icy grey-blue eyes were piercing. Many of the students found him intimidating at first, but as they worked with him they found him tough but caring and fair.

Rumor around the school was that Eric, who graduated from Dauntless himself and had been a star football and hockey player at Factions and at the university, had been offered a spot in both the NFL and NHL drafts, but that he had declined to pursue a career in professional sports. The male seniors practically worshiped Eric as they remembered him playing for the school back when they were freshmen and he was a senior. They were always trying to show off in front of him and earn his approval.

Everyone around the school knew that Coach Max's promotion from teacher and hockey coach to head of the Dauntless program left an opening for another trainer. Coaches Tori, Lauren, Amar, and Max had shared the teaching and sports coaching duties under Harrison for years, but when Harrison found out he had a heart condition and suddenly retired right before the start of the school year, it left the Dauntless staff short-handed. Max had taken over the leadership role, but he still had his classes to teach and the hockey team to coach as well. With two student teachers, they were able to offload some of his responsibilities and get a good look at a couple men who would soon be entering the job market.

Tris hoped that Eric would get the job. As a former hockey player, he could take over coaching that sport, which was needed. Plus, he had gone to Factions, and Tris thought he was easier to work with and learn from than Four. She also very much enjoyed looking at him, but that was something she kept between herself and her diary.

.

Tris arrived in plenty of time for her weight training class, already warmed up by her two-mile jog to school. She entered through the main doors, presented her student pass, and stopped by her locker just long enough to drop off her backpack before heading to the weight room. As usual, she was the first student to arrive.

"Hey Tris," Eric greeted her. "Did you run in today?"

"I did," Tris replied. "I'm all warmed up."

"You do gymnastics," Eric said, referencing Tris' role on the Factions High gymnastics team, "but do you also do yoga?"

"I do," Tris replied, unsure where the conversation was going.

"I'd like to ask for your help with something in class today," Eric said.

The student and trainer spoke briefly about the day's lesson as more students trickled in to the training room. Four and Coach Amar entered just before the bell rang, and Eric began the lecture portion of their class.

"Today we're going to talk about balance," he announced to the students, who had assembled on the rolled-up wrestling mats against the wall.

He hit a button and the screen behind him displayed a meme of a cartoon man with a big, bulky upper body and skinny chicken legs. "Friends Don't Let Friends Skip Leg Day" it read.

"A lot of people, especially guys, get into lifting weights because they want to see gains. They want big arms," Eric said as he flexed his impressive biceps. The guys in the class hooted and some of the girls whistled their appreciation. Tris blushed as Eric caught her gaze.

"But weak legs are a sign of a weak will," Eric continued. The class quickly quieted. Weakness was a dirty word in Dauntless. "Skipping leg day is lazy. It shows that you're only lifting to show off, not to be truly strong. True strength is about total body and mind conditioning."

Eric continued his lecture, talking about the importance of working opposing muscle groups, doing the workouts you don't enjoy, and mixing in cardio, weights, and flexibility/balance work for total body fitness. He hit the clicker again, and the screen behind him displayed two photos of very different looking men. The man on the left was a competitive bodybuilder, bronzed and oiled for competition. The man on the right was extremely thin and dressed in short shorts and a tank top with a running number pinned to it.

"Which one of these men is in better shape?" Eric asked. No one replied at first. The students recognized the trick question.

"The one on the left is in better shape to get my attention," said Nita, one of the flirty popular girls, in a not-so-subtle loud whisper that Eric ignored.

"Which one of them would finish a marathon?" Eric asked. Students mumbled that the guy on the right would.

"And which one could lift a car?" Eric asked. Again, the students mumbled the obvious answer in response.

"How you train your body is a lot like how you dress for the day," Eric said. "You don't wear a parka in the heat of summer, and you don't wear a prom dress to go grocery shopping. Your clothes have to fit the life you live. Your physical conditioning is the same way. You train for what you need your body to do. Football players train differently than ballerinas. Extreme training programs are for extreme situations, like professional athletes. Most people need a well-balanced all-around training regimen to give us the cardiac health, weight management, strength, and flexibility we all need."

"Now," he said, shutting down the projector and grabbing some papers off his desk, "here's what we're doing for today's workout. Lynn has announced that she's planning a future in the Marine Corps, so she's going to lead a group on a run. Tris does gymnastics and yoga, so she'll be leading a group through some basic yoga and flexibility poses. Uriah and the football team lift a lot, so he'll be leading a group through leg day."

The three student leaders joined Eric at the front of the room, and watched as he divided the class and put each of them into the discipline that he deemed their weakest. Lynn's running group consisted mostly of girls with lower stamina - girly girls who didn't like to get sweaty, but also a few of the linemen who were carrying too much weight. Four was sent along to chaperone. Tris ended up having to teach some basic yoga and stretches to a group of male students, mostly football players, with Coach Amar looking after them. Eric accompanied Uriah as the student led a leg workout for some of the weaker kids or those more likely to skip leg day in favor of their biceps.

Tris enjoyed teaching, in spite of the football players' attitude about yoga. Coach Amar's presence helped a lot as he kept the boys from giving her too much trouble. Tris started her lesson by showing them some of the deceptively easy-looking poses that actually required a lot of core strength. When they grumbled about how that didn't look like much of a workout, Tris had the students try the poses. It was funny to see the big football players struggle with side plank, their arms shaking as they tried to hold their large bodies in position.

"Yoga isn't just about flexibility and bending into weird shapes," Tris told her classmates. "Think of it as a divergent Amity-Dauntless exercise. Yoga is about controlling your movement to follow the pattern of your breathing. It's about building strength _with_ flexibility, and it's about mindfulness. You have to clear your mind of everything else to get the most out of it. You have to listen to your body and sink deeper and deeper into the pose slowly. You can stretch farther and hold on longer than you think you can. You just have to get there slowly. You can't force it. That's how you get hurt."

As time was winding down, Coach Amar asked Tris if she could show them something more advanced, just to show off a little and increase the boys' appreciation for yoga. Dauntless love to show off, so Tris carefully positioned herself into a crane pose, her body rolled up tight and suspended upside-down above her arms, her whole body weight balanced on her hands. She held it for several breaths before releasing and moving into a forearm stand scorpion. That position had her upside-down but balanced on her forearms as her body curved around backward, with her feet hovering just above her head.

As she carefully maneuvered her body back to her hands and knees and then to a seated position, Tris noticed how quiet it had gotten in the room. She looked up and saw that several of the boys in her yoga group were staring at her, their mouths agape. Coach Amar sported a knowing smirk. Across the room, some of the weight training group with Uriah had also stopped to stare in awe. Tris watched Eric swallow hard and shake his head.

"You boys still don't think yoga is much of a workout?" Coach Amar asked, breaking the spell.

Suddenly everyone was talking at once and laughing as they exclaimed over what Tris had showed them. The bell rang, and everyone hurried to their next class as Tris stayed seated on the mat and reached for her water bottle.

"You okay?" Eric asked from the leg press machine, where he was taking off plates. For a brief second Tris watched the muscles in his arms as he put the weights away. "You're all flushed."

"I was just upside down," Tris replied with a smile. "I'm good."

"That was quite the demonstration," Eric said.

"Coach Amar told me to show off a little," Tris explained. "Peter and some of the football players were giving me crap about yoga not being a real workout. He wanted me to show them what I can do."

"You sure did," Eric replied in a husky voice, making Tris blush even deeper. Shaking his head again, Eric told Tris to hurry so she wouldn't be late to her next class.

.

The weather was still nice at the end of the day, so Tris enjoyed a cooling walk home after volleyball practice. She ate dinner with her mother and worked on homework. She also texted back and forth with her brother about the different college and career options she was considering. Tris wanted to work with young kids, she knew that much. Part of her wanted a fun nurturing option like teaching preschoolers. But part of her craved a bigger challenge, like being a child psychologist or teaching kids with special needs. She hoped to stay close to home for her studies, even though she knew many of her friends would be going far away and that her dad had been talking about running for national office, which would take her parents to Washington DC much of the time. Texting with Caleb gave Tris a chance to mull over her options and what she really wanted out of her college experience.


	2. Chapter 2

On Friday mornings Tris slept in. It was the one day a week she allowed herself that indulgence, and that was only because it was the one weekday that she didn't have class at the community college in the morning. After working on some homework and having lunch with Natalie, Tris packed up her things and went to the high school for her afternoon classes and a volleyball game.

After winning their match, the volleyball players showered, changed, and bundled up for the varsity football team's home game. Tris sat in the bleachers with her best friend Christina, Christina's boyfriend Will - who played basketball and baseball, but not football - and Coach Tori, their volleyball coach.

This was the football team's last regular season game, and the stands were packed. It seemed like every student, teacher, and coach at Factions High was there. Thankfully, Will had saved them a row in the bleachers while the volleyball players showered and changed.

Tris' eyes scanned the sidelines. She saw Coach Amar, Uriah, and a few of her other friends. She noticed Four assisting Amar and wondered if Eric was out there as well. Her cheeks warmed and her heart thumped as she secretly looked for the muscular older man.

"Is this spot taken?" a deep voice said, close to Tris' ear. It startled her, and she glanced up to see the icy grey-blue eyes of the very man she had just been looking for.

"Um, I don't know," she replied. Turning to her friends, she asked if they were waiting for anyone else. When Christina said that they were not, Tris told Eric that he was welcome to join them.

"I wanted to get here earlier," the teacher said. "I, um, I had to wait for my girlfriend. But she's not… um, she's not coming after all, so I just... I ended up being late."

Tris nodded and burrowed deeper in her warm coat. _Of course he has a girlfriend_, she chastised herself mentally. _He's gorgeous. And older. And my __**teacher**__._ Tris knew that the idea of a relationship with Eric was just an impossible dream, and that it was ethically wrong for him to be anything but professional with a student, but the heart wants what it wants, and Tris' heart was crushing on her student teacher.

Eric sat beside Tris, talking with her, Coach Tori, and her friends for the whole game. He bought them a round of hot chocolates at halftime. He explained some of the finer details of football to Tris. Tori and the girls told him about their volleyball game and the upcoming playoffs.

After the game, Tris' friends were gathering at Uriah's for a party. Normally Tris attended the parties, but tonight she didn't feel like it. She was in a melancholy mood and just wanted to go home and nurse her childish crush and frozen limbs alone in bed.

.

The volleyball team's first playoff game was on a Tuesday. Tris saw Eric in the stands cheering for them and it warmed her heart no matter how hard she tried to convince herself that it had nothing to do with her. She, Christina, and their other teammates pushed themselves and worked hard, but they couldn't pull off the win, and their season ended too soon.

The football team, on the other hand, was dominant. They won in the regional competition, and went all the way to the state tournament. Tris and her friends attended every game that they could, and Tris always saw Eric there. She never saw a girlfriend with him, but he didn't sit with Tris and her friends again, either.

School days passed one assignment at a time. Tris did well on her midterms at the community college, and was setting herself up for another straight A semester. Eric and Four continued their student teaching assignments. Four stayed involved with the football program while Eric began working with Max and the hockey team.

Though things seemed normal on a day-to-day basis, something about Eric felt off. Tris reminded herself often that he was just her teacher and that it was none of her business, but he seemed to be carrying some kind of heavy emotional load. Tris noticed that he was often lost in thought. He began arriving for weight training class at the last minute. He easily became aggravated by students that messed around too much or gave each other a hard time.

Homeroom was the last class of the day. Students were divided by faction and grade level, and the faction's teachers alternated each day so the seniors had each coach, including Eric and Four, one day per week. One day the seniors were working on weapons training - something only Dauntless seniors were allowed to do. The class was practicing field stripping and reassembling weapons. Peter Hayes, one of Tris' least favorite classmates, started goofing around and pointing his (thankfully unloaded) handgun at various things around the training room.

"I don't know why we have to do this," Peter whined. "Leave the mechanics to Erudite. I want to shoot something."

At that exact second, Eric snatched the gun from Peter's hand. "This isn't a water pistol!" he barked at Peter. "I could make you factionless for this! Do you want to get kicked out of the program? Treat _every_ gun as a loaded gun, and pay attention to what you're doing. If you don't, someone could get killed!"

Eric glanced around the room, his grey eyes bright with anger. "Pedrad! Explain to Hayes here why we need to know how to disassemble and reassemble a weapon!"

Uriah's face turned serious. "Because you're not going to bring a gunsmith into battle. You need to know how to properly clear jams and keep your own weapon clean."

Eric nodded in acknowledgment of Uriah's answer, then pointed to the pull-up bar mounted on the training room wall. "Here's what we're going to do right now. Hayes, you're going to pull yourself up on that bar and hold yourself there with your chin above the bar and no part of you touching the wall. You will stay that way until every single student in this class has stripped and properly reassembled their gun. If anyone is not done within five minutes, you're all running laps. Go!"

Tris began methodically taking apart the gun in her hands. As she did, she peeked at Eric every few seconds. He looked tense. Actually, he looked beyond tense. He looked furious, rigid, and stressed to the breaking point. She kept an eye on him, Peter, and the clock as she began to reassemble the gun. Down the table, Lynn cleared her weapon's chamber and stood to her feet, the signal that she was done. Seconds later, another student did the same.

Eric handed Peter's gun to Lynn. "Do that one too," he ordered, his voice firm but less harsh.

Lynn sat down and followed orders. "Help your classmates that need it," Eric instructed the other two who were finished. "Raise your hand if you need their help," he told the class.

Uriah cocked his reassembled weapon and stood. Tris followed a second later. Eric nodded at them in acknowledgment. At four minutes and forty seconds into the drill, the last student stood. As one unit they watched Peter hold himself above the bar, his arms shaking with strain, until the clock hit five minutes and Eric allowed him to drop to the floor.

The students silently put the weapons away as instructed, and after locking the gun cabinet, Eric went over gun safety rules with them again.

"Every gun is a loaded gun," Eric yelled, then made the students repeat him.

"Keep your finger away from the trigger until your sights are on your target and you are ready to shoot."

"Never aim a gun at anything you are unwilling to kill or destroy."

"Know what you're aiming at and what's beyond that."

He led them through the rules several times, making them say it out loud with him. Glancing at the clock and realizing the bell was about to ring, Eric turned to Peter one last time. "Hayes, what did you relearn today?"

"Every gun is a loaded gun," Peter grumbled in reply.

"Forget that again and you'll either be factionless or in jail," Eric said over the sound of the bell.

The students rushed to leave the tense atmosphere of the classroom. Homeroom was the last class of the day, and everyone was anxious to get out of there and get to their sports practices and part-time jobs. Gymnastics season had just started for Tris, but she had the night off from practice. She decided to take her time leaving and see if there was something she could do to help Eric.

"Stiff, why are you still here?" he asked her gruffly. Tris bristled at his use of the put down that the other factions used to talk about the Abnegation kids.

"Ironically, I'm still here because I'm still a stiff at heart," Tris replied coldly. "You've seemed, I don't know, just… off. I mean other than Peter being a dick today. You've been tense and distracted. I wanted to know if there is anything I can do to help."

Eric sighed. "I thought I was hiding it well. I guess not. Great..." He started flipping through the papers on his clipboard, completely ignoring Tris, just waiting for her to give up and leave.

"So..." she began again. "Nothing I can do? No photocopies or grading the freshmen quizzes? You don't want a listening ear? Nothing?"

Eric sighed again. "I just… can't, Tris. You're my student; I'm your teacher. I can't go telling you about my personal life. It's just… it's just not right, okay? I appreciate your concern, but it's not appropriate. Do you understand?"

"Of course," Tris replied. "Just know that I hope you have someone in your life that you can talk to about whatever's bothering you. And if you need help with anything, don't hesitate to ask. You don't have to give me your life story or anything. Just offload some busywork if that will help."

"Thanks Tris," Eric said tiredly.

.

Eric eventually took Tris up on her offer, asking her to do small tasks between school and gymnastics practice. They never talked much, but Tris hoped that her quiet support helped the trainer, and she enjoyed the time she got to spend in his presence. She copied and sorted things for him, cleaned gym equipment, and delivered things around the school on his behalf.

On the day before Thanksgiving break, they were in the training room wiping down machines when Tris heard Eric quietly say "I graduate in two weeks."

"You what?" Tris asked, unsure if he meant to speak out loud.

"Nothing, sorry," the trainer said brusquely.

"Did you say you graduate soon?" she asked.

Eric nodded. "Two weeks."

"In December?" Tris asked.

Eric nodded again. "I did the dual-credit thing in high school, like you. And I took summer classes. This student teaching was the last of my requirements. I graduate at the end of fall semester."

"Congratulations," Tris replied.

He didn't say anything else, so the two of them continued working quietly.

"Does that mean you'll be done here?" Tris asked, suddenly realizing the implications of Eric's graduation. He nodded in reply.

"But what about the hockey team?" Tris asked. "The season just started!"

"Max is coaching," Eric replied. "I'm only assisting. And I'll continue to assist as a volunteer."

"So maybe I'll still see you around," Tris said.

Eric only nodded.

.

Caleb came home for Thanksgiving weekend. The family had a traditional feast and decorated their home for the holiday season. Tris loved having everyone under one roof again. Her dad and brother made it to a gymnastics meet to see her compete. Her mom made a gingerbread house that they worked together to decorate.

On the second Monday after Thanksgiving, Coach Max called a Dauntless "family meeting." That meant that Dauntless students in all grades met together during homeroom. As they waited on the gym bleachers for their coaches to arrive, the students speculated about the reason for the meeting.

"They never call family meeting on a Monday," Christina said nervously.

"It's probably about the end of the semester," Will speculated. "Finals are in a few weeks."

"Is there bad weather in the forecast?" someone asked.

Tris checked her phone. "No bad weather," she said.

The students fell silent as the gym doors opened and Coach Max marched in followed by Coaches Amar, Tori, and Lauren. Eric and Four followed behind them.

"Dauntless!" Max barked.

As they had been trained, the entire Dauntless student body stood as one in silent attention.

"At ease!" Max called.

The students relaxed slightly to a parade rest stance.

"Be seated," Max said in a normal tone. Students began whispering and talking as they sat back down.

"Do you want to stand for the entire meeting?" Tori barked sharply. "He told you to sit, not to speak."

"Arf!" barked one of the boys, making everyone giggle.

"Pedrad! Five laps!" Coach Amar snapped.

Uriah swore under his breath at getting caught, but dutifully took off running around the gym while Max explained why he had gathered them all.

"When Harrison suddenly retired in August, I wasn't sure how we were going to do everything this semester," he began. "Thankfully, the university had two great guys ready to do their student teaching. Eric and Four stepped in and went above and beyond. They haven't just helped and learned for their own benefit. They have fully taught you all, and they each jumped in to work with a sports team as well. Four assisted Coach Amar in leading our football team all the way to state, and Eric has been working with me and the hockey team."

Max paused while the students cheered. "Their time as student teachers has come to an end, and Eric and Four are both graduating from college ahead of schedule. This week they have final exams, and on Sunday afternoon they graduate. Let's give them a big hand!"

The students cheered their trainers, and after a few more announcements, Max concluded the meeting. The coaches made themselves available to the students until the bell rang, and Eric and Four visited with and accepted congratulations from anyone who wanted to talk.

Tris walked home after gymnastics practice, arriving right at dinnertime. As usual, Eric was on her mind. She knew, logically, that a schoolgirl crush on her teacher was absurd. But on the other hand, Eric was only three years her senior. They had gone to high school at the same time. She was just a month short of eighteen, and he had to be twenty-one, twenty-two at the most. _That's not a big age difference_, she argued with herself. _And after today, he's not my teacher anymore._ But Tris knew that the end of Eric's student teaching assignment was likely to be the end of their contact with one another anyway.

As she turned on to the street where she lived, Tris was surprised to see her dad's car in the driveway. He usually left on Mondays to spend the week in Springfield, and rarely made it home before dinner time on Fridays, so having him still home on a Monday night was a special treat. Tris smiled broadly as she hurried her pace.

"Mom? Dad?" she called as she entered the house.

Natalie hurried out from the kitchen, her face beaming. Tris loved to see the way her parents loved one another. Both Natalie and Andrew lit up when their spouse was around.

"He's on the phone," Natalie said. "But dinner will be ready in five. Can you tell him?"

Tris nodded, then hurried to her father's study. He was just saying goodbye to the person on the other end of the line, and greeted his daughter with a hug.

"Beatrice," Andrew said.

"Da-ad," Tris whined.

"Sorry Sweetpea, I meant 'Tris.'"

"Thank you, Daddy," Tris said. "You're home on a Monday night. Is everything okay?"

"Very good," Andrew replied. "Family meeting at dinner. We're video chatting with Caleb."

Tris grinned. She hoped that her dad was finally going to make it official and run for the open Senate seat. Andrew Prior was a brilliant man. He was a thoughtful and generous public servant who honestly cared about the people in his district. Tris knew that he would make an excellent senator and represent the people of Illinois well.

When Tris and Andrew joined Natalie at the dinner table she was busy calling Caleb on her tablet device.

"Hey Mom," Caleb greeted. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, yes," Natalie soothed her oldest child. "We're all fine." She moved the tablet so Caleb could see Andrew and then Tris, who greeted her big brother with a wave.

Natalie adjusted the tablet so Caleb could see his father as Andrew began talking to his family. "I'm sure this isn't a surprise," he said with a smile. "We're officially announcing my Senate campaign on Friday."

Caleb laughed with what sounded like relief, and Tris smiled at her nervous but eager-looking father and proud mother.

Andrew talked to his family about what this would mean for them. A Senate campaign could get ugly, though Andrew had no significant skeletons in his closet to worry about. He instructed his family to refuse to give any interviews or comments unless they were cleared through his campaign staff first.

Tris and Caleb expressed their support, and offered to help with the campaign as it progressed.

"We'll have some public appearances," Natalie told Tris, "starting with the press conference on Friday. We need to do some shopping."

"Wednesday after school?" Tris suggested. Natalie just grinned and nodded her head.

.

School on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon was different without Eric. Tris tried to act normal, but she missed the hulking blonde man. She wondered how his finals were going as she prepared for her own. She wanted to go to the hockey game just for a glimpse of him, but her father's press conference announcement was on the same day.

Shopping with Natalie on Wednesday was fun. Mother and daughter scoured the mall and came home with a few new dresses each for upcoming events. Tris gravitated toward dark grey and black. She had gotten comfortable in those colors during her years in a Dauntless uniform. She also preferred the fit-and-flare style of dresses, with a conservative top, short or no sleeves, and knee-length skirt. She preferred to layer cardigans over tops and dresses rather than wear something too warm. Most of the dresses she liked were reminiscent of the 1950's style.

Tris got a black sheath dress and black and grey plaid pumps to wear with an elbow-sleeved grey cardigan and long necklace that she already owned. That would do for the announcement press conference. Natalie got a suit in dark berry red. The color suited her and the holiday season, and it would look good with Tris' outfit. Andrew would wear a grey or black suit, and they would coordinate nicely. Natalie was in great shape for a middle-aged woman, and the suit fit her curves and showed off her shapely legs without being too revealing.

Natalie also bought two classic formal dresses, one black and one hunter green, for upcoming holiday events. Tris got a black dress with a black lace overlay and red embroidered flowers. She could pair that with black flats for holiday events and still be comfortable. She also got a dark grey wrap dress that could be styled a number of different ways for dressed-up events.

.

Tris' gymnastics coach excused her from practice on Friday, and Max excused her from classes, so Tris had the whole day off to prepare for the press conference. She slept in, as usual. She showered after a short run, and Natalie gave her daughter a haircut. The two women got ready together, and Tris even put on a little makeup for the cameras.

The press conference was held at city hall in downtown Chicago. Tris in her black and grey, and Natalie in her berry red suit flanked Andrew as he addressed the media.

"For those of you who don't yet know me," Tris' dad began his speech, "my name is Andrew Prior. I was born, raised, and educated here in the Chicago area. I spent nearly twenty years here working in community and economic development. My wife, Natalie, and I raised our two children, Caleb and Tris, here. Over the years we opened our home to many foster kids from our community, and we have been involved in our church and several wonderful non-profit organizations. I loved serving my community here. And I have loved representing my district in the state House for the past six years. It would be my sincere honor and privilege to represent the people of this great state in the United States Senate. That is why I am officially announcing that I will be running for Senate in next year's election."

Tris and Natalie smiled at Andrew's words. They waited patiently - laughing, smiling, and looking serious at the appropriate moments - while Andrew answered questions from the assembled reporters. When the press conference ended, Andrew put an arm around each of them and they waved as they walked off.

The press conference was followed by a boring dinner with a few of her father's colleagues who had come to support him as he made the campaign announcement. Tris sipped her water and politely answered the same questions over and over:  
Was she excited about her father's campaign? Of course, her dad would be a great senator.  
How was school going? Very well, thank you. Finals for college were last week, and the high school's next week.  
How is gymnastics season going? Factions has a good team this year. That makes it fun.  
What is she planning to do after graduation?

On an on the disinterested adults made polite conversation with disinterested Tris, and she gave polite answers in reply.

When no one was talking to Tris, she snuck peeks at her phone under the table. Christina was all worked up about Tris' appearance on TV and kept sending links to different news sites that had covered the press conference. Her social media accounts were blowing up as well. New followers were coming out of the woodwork, and every acquaintance she had suddenly wanted to be Facebook friends.

On the way home, while Natalie was driving Tris was sorting through the chaos on her phone. She declined most of the friend requests, and tightened up her security settings. She sorted through old photos on her pages and deleted things she didn't want to see appear on some news story or another. She determined that some social media platforms were better for public posts, while other platforms were better for personal communication. She knew she had to be more selective about who she let in close, and she trimmed her lists accordingly.

"What are your friends doing tonight?" Natalie asked.

"Basketball and hockey games," Tris replied. "Chris is cheering at Will's game, but I think Uri and Marlene were going to the hockey game."

"Oh!" Natalie exclaimed. "I forgot to tell you. The CEO of the cable company was supposed to speak at the university's graduation on Sunday, but he got sick. They asked Dad to take his place. I think it's a good chance for him to get in front of some young voters. Any chance I can convince you to go along? I can't go because Caleb flies in on Sunday and I have to pick him up."

"I'd like that," Tris said, surprising her mom. "I actually know a couple people graduating."


	3. Chapter 3

On Sunday, Tris was thankful that her mom had taken her shopping for more than just the press conference dress. She pulled out the new grey wrap dress and paired it with ballet flats. She wore simple earrings and a bracelet, and put a pin of the Dauntless flame logo over her collarbone. The pin was her little way of honoring Eric and Four at their graduation. Okay, she was really thinking of Eric, but she wasn't going to admit that out loud.

Andrew was grateful that his daughter was willing to attend the graduation with him. The students he would speak to were young enough to be his children, so having one of them along helped him feel more relevant. Tris assured him that he looked nice in his suit and tie, and he helped her into her black wool coat on their way out the door.

Graduation included a host of activities on the university campus. The first event was a brunch that for the students graduating with honors. Winter graduation was always smaller than spring, so the group of honors students was fairly small. Tris and Andrew sat at the head table in the university ballroom with other dignitaries like the university president and his wife, the heads of several departments, and the dean of students and her husband.

Tris was deep in conversation with the university president's wife, discussing Tris' upcoming high school graduation and her plans for the next year. Everyone at the head table was pleased to hear that Tris had applied to their child development program.

"Tris?" a deep voice said in surprise. Tris turned with a smile that broadened when she recognized Eric. He was dressed in dark slacks, a button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled, and a black tie. His graduation gown was draped over one arm, but his honors tassels hung around his broad shoulders.

"Eric!" Tris said brightly, standing to reach for his hand across the table. "I was hoping I'd see you today."

"Are you here for graduation?" Eric asked, clearly surprised to find one of his students at the university head table.

"My dad is speaking at commencement," Tris explained, gesturing to the man beside her.

Andrew turned from his other conversation and stood to greet Eric. "Andrew Prior," he said as he offered his hand.

"Eric Coulter," the trainer said as they shook hands.

"Eric is a Dauntless alum," Tris said proudly. "He has been doing his student teaching at Factions."

"Congratulations," Andrew said cordially.

"To you as well," Eric said respectfully. "I heard about your Senate campaign."

Andrew barely had a chance to acknowledge Eric's comment before he was pulled in another direction by yet another well-wisher who wanted a moment of the probable future senator's time.

"Is your family here with you?" Tris asked, making polite conversation.

"No, um, I don't have any family," Eric admitted. "I was an only child, and my parents passed about a year and a half ago."

"Oh," Tris said, startled and sorry that she brought up what could be a painful subject. "Your girlfriend then? Is she here?"

Eric sighed. "That didn't exactly work out," he admitted, glancing around to make sure the adults around Tris were busy with other conversations.

"Well, I'm here," Tris said. "I guess I'll have to cheer loud."

"And you wore your Dauntless pin," Eric pointed out.

"I was thinking of you and Four when I got ready this morning. I thought I should represent," Tris replied with a smile.

"I'm glad you're here, Tris," Eric replied with a gentle smile. "I have some friends among my classmates, but I'm glad to know you'll be out there for me as well. I almost didn't participate in today, but… but I knew my parents would want this. I'm doing it for them."

Tris grabbed her purse and pulled out a scrap of paper and a pen. In a burst of bravery, she scribbled down her name and cell number, and handed the paper to Eric. "You're not my teacher anymore," she said, biting her bottom lip, "so if you want to be friends…"

Eric took the slip of paper as she trailed off. "I'd like that," he said sincerely.

For a minute they just smiled awkwardly at one another. Tris noticed that Eric was blushing a little as he spoke again. "Um, Tris? Um, how old are you?" the trainer asked.

Tris blushed furiously, wondering if he might be interested in more than friendship with her. "Seventeen," she said quietly. "But I'll be eighteen in January."

"January," Eric repeated. "Friends it is, then."

This made Tris' blush even deeper. Eric said that he would text Tris his number, then said goodbye.

Tris thought she was going to faint. Her crush - the impossible, crazy crush - liked her back! _He wants to be friends_, she thought to herself. _Or at least he said he wants to be friends. He seemed sincere about it, not like he was just being nice and would throw my number away and laugh at me later. Oh, I hope he wants to be friends for real!_

"Beatrice?" Andrews voice cut into Tris' thoughts.

"Da-ad," she scolded. She hated being called Beatrice and was terrified that her dad would call her that in public. She really didn't want the Senate campaign telling America that her name was Beatrice.

"Sorry, Sweetpea. Are you ready to go now, _Tris_?"

.

Tris and Andrew went from the honors brunch to the hooding ceremony at the College of Political Science and Public Policy. There Andrew presided over the event where the students earning their master's degrees received the hood to their academic regalia.

From there, he and Tris were whisked away to the auditorium for the commencement ceremony. Tris was seated in the front row with several other family members of the dignitaries on stage. The students filed in from the back of the auditorium in long rows, arranged by the university programs they were graduating from. All of that took place behind Tris, but she watched the processional on the big screen mounted above the stage.

While the graduates were seated in neat rows on the auditorium floor, their families and supporters were seated up around the sides of the large arena. Tris smiled as the families cheered when their graduates appeared on the screen. She looked for Eric, Four, or any familiar faces, but didn't see them by the time the ceremony started.

The beginning of the program was boring to Tris. This person and that stood up in their academic robes and droned on about the memories everyone made in college, and why it was so important to stay connected after graduation. There were songs and readings mixed in with the speeches, too.

When they introduced the keynote speaker, Tris smiled at her dad and watched him take his place at the podium. Andrew explained that the originally scheduled speaker had taken ill, and that he would keep his remarks short. He spoke to the students about how many people had helped them reach this milestone of graduation. He commended them for all the hard work and sacrifice that they had put in as well. Then he encouraged them to be that support for the next generation - to help others as they themselves had been helped - and to make the world a better place.

"I am honored to be with you today as you celebrate your tremendous achievement," Andrew said as he closed his remarks. "I see an entire room filled with the energy and potential that will change the world, and I look forward to seeing great things from you all. Congratulations!"

The audience applauded his speech, and Tris cheered for her dad. With the orations out of the way, it was time to award diplomas. Tris sat quietly as one-by-one the students filed across the stage. The PhD candidates went first, followed by students receiving their masters' degrees.

As they transitioned to the graduates receiving bachelors' degrees, Tris felt her phone buzz. She pulled it out from under her leg where she had tucked it to hide it after snapping a few pictures of Andrew on stage.

**I had no idea this would go on and on, the text from a strange number said. I'm starting to regret attending. - Eric**

Tris smiled and surreptitiously hit a few buttons to store Eric's number in her contacts before she replied.

**T: It's your graduation. How do you think I feel?**

**E: Proud? Your dad did a great job. I bragged to everyone sitting by me that his daughter is a friend of mine.**

**T: You may regret agreeing to friendship with me. I've been sitting here thinking of ways to embarrass you when they call your name.**

**E: You wouldn't…**

Tris didn't reply right away. It was more fun to let him worry a bit.

A few minutes later, the professors on stage switched out, and the College of Education was announced. Tris watched for Eric, ready to cheer loudly for her friend.

"Eric Coulter, summa cum laude," the announcer called.

Just as Tris was about to cheer, she heard voices from the balcony to her right. "Daunt-less! Daunt-less!" they began. Tris threw a fist in the air and joined in the faction chant. "Daunt-less! Brave!" she called out with the other voices.

Eric whipped his head around, and his face lit up when he saw the other Dauntless coaches in the balcony. Tris felt her eyes well up with tears as she waved at Coaches Max, Amar, Tori, and Lauren. Tori waved back. Eric may have believed that he had no family, but Dauntless _was_ a family.

When the college of Education finished and the next group began, Tris texted Eric again.

**T: Where's Four?**

**E: Family conflict**

Tris didn't know what to say about that. For a few minutes she just sat quietly and clapped politely for the graduates.

**E: Do you have plans tonight? Want to get food to celebrate with me?**

Tris chewed on her bottom lip. She really wanted to say yes to Eric, both because she liked him and wanted to spend time with him, but also because he was alone on his graduation day. But Caleb was coming home this afternoon, so she needed to be with her family.

**T: I want to, but my brother flies home from college this afternoon, so I don't know if I can.**

**E: That's okay. Some of the graduates are going out tonight. I just thought I'd check with you first. Another time?**

**T: For sure. I don't have gymnastics on Wednesday nights, and my mornings are open now that my college classes are done for a while.**

**E: I don't think we're sleepover friends, Tris.**

Tris blushed deep red.

**T: That's not what I meant and you know it.**

**E: I know. But I'll bet you're bright red right now.**

**T: Shut up**

**E. (blushing smile face emoji)**

The graduation ceremony ended, and Tris waited patiently while the graduates filed out of the auditorium. Andrew was surrounded by people who wanted to shake his hand, congratulate him on his speech, or talk about his campaign. Tris sat quietly in the front row, texting pictures of Andrew to Natalie. She texted Eric a picture of himself receiving his diploma.

**E: Are you still here? I met Max, Amar, Tori, and Lauren in the lobby.**

**T: Still waiting for my popular father. It could be a while.**

**E: Come out here with us.**

**T: Ok**

Tris let Andrew know that she was going to say hi to her coaches out in the lobby and made her way out of the auditorium. The lobby space was packed with graduates and their families, and Tris' short stature didn't make it easy for her to locate the other Dauntless. She saw a tattooed arm wave above the crowd and made her way toward it, where she found Eric surrounded by the other coaches with a broad smile on his face.

"We're so proud of you!" Max was saying to Eric.

"Hey guys," Tris greeted her teachers.

"Tris!" Amar greeted her as Tori gave her a quick hug.

"Your dad gave a really good speech," Lauren said.

The others nodded, and Tris thanked them. "It was so last minute," she explained, "but I think he nailed it. And I was glad to come with him so I could cheer for Eric."

"I can't believe you guys all showed up," Eric said with emotion. "I thought I didn't have anyone, and look at this…"

Tori and Lauren took turns hugging Eric again while Max and Amar thumped him on the back. Tris gave him a hug as well, and when he was close she spoke to him in a quiet voice. "Dauntless is family, Warrior. Don't ever forget that."

.

That night, after dinner with the family and sibling time with Caleb, Tris got ready for bed and curled up with a good book. On the nightstand, her phone lit up, alerting her to an incoming text.

**E: Was I dreaming, or did you call me Warrior this afternoon?**

Tris blushed. She wasn't sure where that had come from when it tumbled out of her mouth. She had wanted to remind Eric of his strength and his permanent place in the Dauntless family, and it just came out.

**T: Too weird?**

**E: No!**

**E: I mean, that might be the coolest thing anyone ever said to me.**

**E: It made me feel powerful.**

**E: You looked so good in that dress today.**

**E: Jack and coke**

**T: ?**

**E: Lol, I just texted you my order instead of telling the bartender.**

**T: Are you drunk?**

**E: Apparently more than I thought.**

**T: Just don't drive, okay?**

**E: No problem. We got a cab.**

**T: Good**

A few minutes passed, and another text arrived.

**E: I wish you were here**

**T: We'd get kicked out. I'm a few years too young for the bar.**

**E: I keep forgetting that.**

**E: Why aren't you at least 18?**

**T: Because I'm not**

**E: Jailbait**

**T: Drunk**

**E: Touche**

**E: I just wanted to celebrate**

**E: And forget. You know what I mean?**

**E: No, you don't know.**

**E: My ex. She screwed me over pretty bad.**

Tris was worried. She hoped Eric had someone responsible keeping an eye on him. He was clearly getting drunker by the text, and now he had resorted to moaning about his ex. She hoped he wasn't too hung up on the girl.

**T: You miss her?**

**E: God no!**

**E: We didn't make sense. But I stuck it out and she took everything.**

**T: Are you okay?**

A few minutes later, she tried again.

**T: Eric?**

Tris didn't get much sleep that night. She kept waiting for another text or some word that Eric was okay. She worried that he would do something stupid and hurt himself. She wondered how often he drank.

Eventually she drifted off to a fitful sleep.

.

Tris was folding her laundry the next morning and getting ready for her afternoon at the high school and gymnastics when her phone rang. Seeing Eric's name on the screen, she accepted the call.

"Hello?" she said cautiously.

"I'm such an ass," Eric moaned. "Tris, I'm so sorry. I haven't gone out drinking in months, and apparently I have no tolerance. I regret pretty much every text I sent you last night, and I'm kicking myself so bad. You're my seventeen-year-old student, and I'm like a creepy old man!"

"Did you get home safely?" Tris asked, unsure what else to say. "I was worried about you when you quit responding."

"Ugh, I'm sorry," he said again. "I can't say that enough. I feel like sh-, um, crap."

"You can say 'shit,' Eric," Tris replied. "I'm seventeen, not seven."

"Fine," he replied with a groan. "I feel like shit."

"Take some ibuprofen, drink some water, and go back to bed," Tris instructed. "I'm going to delete the drunk texts my _friend_ sent me last night, and then I have school this afternoon."

"Thank you, Tris," Eric said meekly.

"Goodnight, Eric," Tris replied.

.

As she walked to school for the afternoon, Tris thought about the text exchange and phone call with Eric. It was obvious they were attracted to one another, but she didn't know if they could work with their age difference. The fact that he used to be her teacher would always be an awkward thing between them, too. Maybe it would be best if the two of them didn't try to be friends until after she graduated from high school. Or at least not until she was eighteen.


	4. Chapter 4

It seemed that Tris and Eric came to the same conclusion, because as December progressed, she didn't hear much from him. He texted to congratulate her when she placed at her last gymnastics meet before the holiday break. She texted him when the hockey team won. She wanted to invite him to dinner with her family since she knew he was alone over the holidays, but she was afraid to ask. They never did get together to celebrate his graduation.

With her father's Senate campaign came numerous holiday events for the Priors. Tris was glad that Caleb was home so she didn't have to be alone all the time while her parents were gone, and because he could entertain her when they had to attend another boring adult function.

School ended for the semester, and Tris was relieved to have a break from gymnastics and everything else for a while. After watching Caleb leave, then attending college classes herself, Tris' heart wasn't in the high school life anymore. The parties, girly drama, and sports that used to dominate her life were quickly losing their appeal. Natalie called it "senioritis," but Tris didn't see Christina and her other classmates feeling quite the same way she did.

.

On Christmas Eve, Tris woke up to a quiet house. Her parents were both home, as was Caleb, and for the next two days the four of them would have uninterrupted family time. Tris really wanted to relax and absorb every minute with her family, but her thoughts were swirling. Her crush on Eric and their awkward friendship/non-friendship, decisions about college, her dad's campaign, and general holiday craziness overwhelmed her. No doubt the constant diet of Christmas cookies and party food weren't helping. Tris needed to run.

She checked the weather app on her phone, and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was thirty-eight degrees, with a daytime high of forty-five expected. _Looks like we won't get a white Christmas this year,_ Tris thought. Chicago could usually count on more wintery weather in December. But desperate to go for a run, Tris wasn't in the mood to complain. She dressed herself in fleece-lined workout leggings, a thermal top, and a down-filled puffer vest. She added a stocking hat and a pair of thin gloves to her ensemble, and left a note for her family before plugging in her ear buds and taking off.

The run was just what Tris needed. She reveled in the gentle burn she felt in her legs, the fresh air, and the thumping beat of her music. She had planned to run three miles, but it felt so good that she turned away from home to make the trip a little longer.

Tris ran across the parking lot of an abandoned department store. Rumor had it that the building was bought and would be renovated and turned into a church. She thought about that as she turned the corner onto the sidewalk along the side of the building.

Tris noticed a pink rag lying on the ground beside a garbage can, and decided to throw it away properly. Her parents had been strict with their children about not littering, and something in Tris felt like doing this simple good deed on her Christmas Eve run. She reached for the rag, but jerked back when it moved.

Tris pulled out her earbuds and was startled by a weak cry that sounded like a baby. _A kitten?_ she wondered, moving toward the ball of fabric.

She gently pulled on the pink cloth and gasped as she revealed a tiny newborn baby, naked and chalky, with a length of umbilical cord still attached to her stomach. The baby couldn't have been more than an hour old, if that, and she wasn't very big, even for a newborn. Instinctively, Tris sat down on the ground and tucked the tiny infant into her vest to share her body heat. She began to cry and shake as she pulled her phone out of her pocket.

She dialed her mom's cell number, and thankfully Natalie picked up right away.

"Tris?" her mom said. "Are you okay?"

"No… I… Mom, I need help," Tris stammered, overwhelmed and unsure what to do or say.

"Are you hurt?" Natalie asked.

"No," Tris replied. "I'm okay, but Mom, I found a baby."

"A human baby?" Natalie asked in surprise.

Tris nodded, then realized that her mom couldn't see that through the phone. "I'm by the old KMart. It was lying on the ground in a blanket. I don't know what to do."

"I'm on my way," Natalie said. "You hang up and call 911 right away."

Tris obeyed her mom, and with shaking fingers she called the police.

Natalie and the first responders arrived at the same time, and the police escorted Tris into the back of an ambulance where it was warm and she could remove the newborn from her vest. As they drove slowly to the local hospital, Tris answered an officer's questions while a paramedic examined the baby.

They bagged up the ragged pink blanket as potential evidence and wrapped the newborn in a clean blanket. Every time the paramedic set the tiny baby on the gurney, Tris would pick it up again. Though she obeyed orders and clearly answered questions, it was clear that Tris was in some kind of emotional shock and running on nothing but adrenaline and maternal instinct.

When they arrived at the hospital, the officer and paramedic helped Tris out of the ambulance. She was still holding onto the baby as they walked her through the busy emergency room and into an exam room. Natalie arrived a few minutes later and sat with her daughter and the abandoned infant while the police and hospital staff buzzed around them.

A pediatrician was brought in, and he took the infant for a thorough exam.

Natalie guided her daughter out of the exam room and into a waiting area. They hoped that the hospital staff, police, or a social worker would give them some kind of update or at least let them know the baby was okay before they went home.

"Natalie?" A woman's voice asked.

Tris and her mom looked up and smiled when they saw Sally Rogers, a social worker they remembered from their many years as a foster family.

"I hope the family is okay," the social worker said in a concerned voice.

"Oh yes," Natalie assured her. "I assume you're here about the abandoned infant? Tris was the one who found her when she was out jogging this morning."

Sally hugged Tris tightly and asked the teenager to tell her the whole story of how she had come across the abandoned newborn. The three women wept together as Tris told her story and they all thought about what would cause someone to abandon a beautiful baby in the cold.

"I… I'm just so glad it was warm today," Tris sobbed as her mother put her arms around her. "What if I didn't pick up the blanket? I would have run right by, and that baby might have died there, alone by a bus stop." For a few minutes, Natalie just held her daughter as she sobbed, overwhelmed by the 'what if's' of the situation.

"It's not going to be easy to find a foster family on Christmas Eve," Natalie said to Sally.

The social worker sighed. "Nearly impossible. People love babies, but it'll be a miracle if we can get someone today. Especially since her future is so unknown. We don't know if the baby has parents or other family out there. We don't know if this was an abandonment, or attempted kidnapping, or what. This could be a long-term placement or a short one. There's a lot of uncertainty, and a needy little newborn to place on Christmas."

"We're still licensed," Natalie said quietly. "We haven't been active recently, but we're still able to take a placement. We're all home for the week, and the kids are out of school. I think it might do Beatrice some good to see that the baby is okay. Perhaps if the doctor releases her we could take her at least until the New Year, when you'd have an easier time finding someone else."

"Would you really do that?" Sally asked.

"We would love to," Natalie assured her.

.

The unnamed baby was released from the hospital that afternoon. Tris insisted on staying until the little one was allowed to go home with them, but Natalie and the social worker made a run to Walmart for emergency supplies. The Priors still had a bassinet from their previous fostering work, but they needed a carseat, diapers, wipes, bottles, formula, and a few little outfits and blankets for the tiny visitor.

They returned home from the hospital in the late afternoon. Per Tris' texted instructions, Caleb had pulled the bassinet and rocking chair from the attic, dusted them off, and put them in Tris' bedroom. She had him take the shopping bags of supplies up there as well. It was obvious that Tris had become attached to the tiny baby, and that worried her parents. They knew the little one would only be with them for a short time, so they were concerned about their daughter getting too attached.

Once they were home and everything was unloaded from the car, Natalie insisted that Tris eat something and take a shower.

"But… but…" the teenager stammered.

Natalie gave her a stern look. "We all want a turn to hold the baby," she said to her daughter. "You need to eat and shower. And I don't want you getting too attached. She's here for a few days, and that's probably it. The police are looking for relatives, and social services will look for a long-term foster option next week if nothing turns up."

Tris' chin quivered as she handed the tiny bundle to her dad. "She _needs_ someone to be attached to her," Tris said as a fat tear rolled down her cheek. "She deserves that."

Natalie sighed. "I know, Sweetheart. I just don't want you to get hurt when she has to go."

Tris ate the snack that her mom put in front of her, sniffling occasionally and watching her dad and brother like a hawk as they cooed over the infant.

"Does she have a name?" Caleb asked.

"No," Natalie answered. "We can call her something, but we have to know that her real family will probably change it."

The family discussed names while Tris ate her snack. When Tris was in the shower, Natalie and Andrew talked with Caleb about Tris' traumatic experience, and her firm attachment to the baby. They agreed that they would allow Tris to care for the little one as much as she wanted to, but that they would keep reminding her that the baby was only a temporary visitor in their home.

When she came downstairs freshly showered and dressed, Tris lifted the baby into her arms and rested her against her chest. Natalie could have sworn that both Tris and the newborn sighed when they were reunited. Tris made herself comfortable in the big recliner in the family room, and messed around on her phone while the little pink bundle slept against her chest.

When the family sat down to their Christmas Eve dinner, Tris placed the baby in her infant carrier, and set it on the floor beside her own chair.

"I have a name for the baby," she announced. "I did some digging online. I looked at what names mean, and I want to call her Ava. It's a variation of Eve, and she was born on Christmas Eve, but it also means 'breathing' or 'living'. It made me think about that moment when I opened the blanket and she… she was just so tiny, but… but she was _alive_."

Tris took a minute to gather her thoughts and get her emotions in check. Natalie reached for her daughter's hand and gave her a teary smile.

"I know that she won't be with us for long," Tris continued, choking on a sob. "But while she's here I want her to know what it means to be loved. She's a Christmas miracle. If I hadn't woken up early…" Tris shook her head. "If I hadn't gone for a run. If I didn't feel so good I decided to do an extra mile. If I had turned right instead of left. If I didn't stop to pick up what I thought was litter…"

Tears poured down Tris and Natalie's cheeks, and Andrew and Caleb had lumps in their throats as well. The Priors reached for one another's hands around the table.

"I didn't do anything to save that baby," Tris told her family. "I was just in the right place at the right time. I don't know how anyone could look at that amazing series of coincidences and what-ifs and not believe in God. That little girl has a future because He put the pieces together. That's why I want to call her Ava Hope. Where there is life, there is hope."

Andrew released his wife's hand and raised his wine glass. Giving his daughter a watery smile, he proposed a toast. "To God, who put the pieces in place. To Tris, who was in the right place at the right time. And to Ava Hope, our Christmas miracle."

Tris and Caleb raised their water glasses and clinked them gently with their parents' wine glasses.

Caleb swiped his hand across his eyes after taking a drink from his glass. "If you keep talking like that, Dad will have you giving campaign speeches," he said to his sister.

Everyone chuckled, and Ava began to fuss in her carrier. "I want to hold her," Caleb said, pushing back from the table to gather the infant in his arms.

"She's probably getting hungry," Natalie commented.

Tris jumped up to prepare a bottle. By the time she returned, Ava was crying fully. She smiled at the little one as she handed her brother the bottle and a burp cloth.

"Ava," Tris said. The baby turned her face, looking for Tris when she heard her voice.

"You two are getting attached very quickly," Andrew commented, observing the way his daughter and the infant gazed at one another over Caleb's shoulder.

"You good?" Tris asked her brother.

"I've fed a baby before, Beatrice," he teased her, sticking out his tongue.

Tris returned the gesture, then helped her mom clear the table.

.

Every year the Priors' Christmas Eve traditions started with family dinner around the table, and once that was over and the dishes were done, they each got to open one gift. The Christmas Eve gift was always a new pair of pajamas, and they all immediately changed into them. Once dressed in their new pajamas, the family would gather in front of the television for dessert and one of their favorite Christmas movies.

When Tris and Natalie finished the dishes, the family gathered to open their pajamas. Natalie distributed wrapped boxes to each member of the family, and gave Tris a gift bag as well.

"Hey!" Caleb protested. "We only get one present on Christmas Eve."

"She only got one," Natalie assured her son. "That second gift is Ava's."

Tris ripped into the baby's gift first, and pulled out a tiny red and white sleeper. "Baby's First Christmas," it said across the front.

"Mo-om," Tris said, holding the tiny garment to her chest and squealing over it's tiny cuteness.

"I saw it at Walmart when we were getting baby supplies," Natalie said, "and I just thought Ava needed to be part of our Christmas tradition."

Tris hopped off the couch and took the sleeping baby from her brother's arms. She gently changed the little one into her new sleeper while the rest of the family opened their gifts. Once everyone had changed into their new pajamas and returned to the family room, they picked a movie. Tris and Ava sat in the recliner, while Andrew and Natalie curled up on the couch and Caleb draped himself across the loveseat.

Halfway through the movie, Tris' phone lit up with a message.

**E: Hope I'm not interrupting your family time, I just wanted to say Merry Christmas.**

**T: Merry Christmas to you, too**

**E: Doing anything exciting?**

**T: You have no idea.**

**T: I can't really talk about it, but my parents took in a new foster child today.**

**E: On Christmas? That's sad.**

**T: Actually, it was a Christmas miracle. Maybe someday I can tell you about it.**

**E: Why can't you talk about it?**

**T: Privacy. All I can say is that we have a foster baby. Her story is pretty incredible.**

**T: I wish I could send you a picture. She's just beautiful.**

Tris adjusted Ava on her lap and made sure the flash was shut off on her phone before snapping a few pictures of the baby in her Christmas sleeper. She couldn't show them to Eric, but she wanted to have some pictures for herself, to remember the little one once she was gone. She moved the baby onto her chest and shoulder and took a selfie. Since the baby's face wasn't really visible in the picture, Tris used her phone's photo editor to cover it a little more and sent the image to Eric.

**E: Wow, that's a tiny baby.**

Tris decided to change the subject before she got tempted to say too much about little Ava.

**T: What did you do today?**

**E: Slept in. Worked out. Went to Christmas Eve service. Watched some TV. You?**

**T: Got up early. Went running. Spent time with my family and the baby.**

**T: Are you alone on Christmas?**

**E: I'm fine, Tris**

"Mom," Tris said, interrupting the movie. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Natalie replied, turning her attention to her daughter.

"A friend of mine doesn't have any family. His parents died and he's an only child, so he's alone on Christmas. Can I invite him over tomorrow afternoon?"

"Who is this friend, Beatrice?" Andrew asked, obviously concerned.

"You met him at the college graduation. His name is Eric. He graduated from Factions two years before Caleb, and we met again when he did his student teaching there this fall," she replied.

"He's your teacher?" Natalie asked.

"Eric Coulter?" Caleb asked. "I remember him. He was the running back on the football team. He set all kinds of school records. I think his parents died in an accident in the Caribbean or something."

"He's _not_ my teacher," Tris said, rolling her eyes. "He's only three years older than I am. He just did his student teaching at Factions. We became friends. It's not weird."

"Uh oh," Caleb teased his sister. "Sounds like somebody's hot for teacher."

"Mo-om!" Tris whined.

"Don't start with each other; it's Christmas," Natalie said. She looked at Andrew and they exchanged a few meaningful glances before she turned back to her daughter.

"You can invite your friend over in the afternoon. We have more than enough food for one more," Natalie said. "And I'd hate for someone to be alone on Christmas when we have more than enough."

Tris grabbed her phone.

**T: Come over and have dinner with my family tomorrow.**

**E: What? Tris, I'm fine.**

**T: I'm serious. We have more than enough food, and it's casual, just the four of us sitting around eating and watching movies and stuff.**

**E: It's Christmas. I can't just intrude on your family's Christmas.**

**T: You didn't intrude; we invited you.**

**E: Tris…**

**T: Come anytime after 2:00. Dress casual, like jeans or even sweats. We're just relaxing and overeating.**

It took a few minutes before Eric replied.

**E: Thank you.**


	5. Chapter 5

Ava woke Tris every four hours or less through the night to eat and get her diaper changed. Tris was thankful for the rocking chair Caleb had dragged into her room. She tried to keep the baby quiet so her family could sleep, but Ava just wouldn't be soothed at three in the morning. Natalie came in to offer her daughter a break and a chance to rest, but Tris insisted on caring for the baby herself. When she eventually went back to sleep, Tris fell into bed and crashed hard.

When Ava woke up again at seven, Caleb heard her stirring before it woke Tris. He snuck into his sister's room and lifted the baby from the bassinet, grabbing a diaper on his way out the door. Down in the kitchen, Natalie helped her son prepare a bottle for the baby. Ava was fed, burped, changed, and fast asleep when they heard a sudden exclamation and a loud bang from upstairs. Caleb laughed as his sister came running and nearly tumbling down the stairs.

Tris saw Ava in her brother's arms and promptly burst into tears. "I… I thought she was gone! I thought they came and took her already," she cried.

"Oh Tris!" Natalie exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her daughter. "We were just letting you sleep. When the time comes, I'll make sure you know. We wouldn't let you sleep through that."

Caleb placed the baby in his sister's arms, knowing that was the only thing that would calm her in that moment. Tris held Ava close and sat down at the table. Natalie brought her daughter some breakfast as Andrew walked in to greet his family and refill his coffee.

After breakfast the family gathered around the Christmas tree to open their gifts. Natalie and Andrew subscribed to the 'something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read' plan for their holiday shopping. They gave Caleb some new sunglasses, a gift card to a gas station chain, a couple new shirts, and a boxed set of books by his favorite author. Tris received a Bluetooth speaker, a new pair of running shoes, a pair of slim black pants with a coordinating ivory sleeveless top, and the newly released book from a series she'd been reading.

Tris and Caleb had combined their efforts and bought their parents a new coffee maker. Tris didn't have a regular job during the school year, but she had kept some of her summer income and the money she made babysitting. In addition to her part of the coffee maker purchase, Tris bought a gift for Caleb, a pair of wireless headphones. Caleb gave Tris a gift as well. He bought his sister a scrapbook with lined pages, a set of self-adhesive photo corners to mount pictures on them, and some pens and accessories for it.

Tris smiled at the book as an idea came to her. "I love this," she told her brother. "I know exactly what I'm going to do with it."

.

Tris found herself looking out the window every few minutes throughout the afternoon, waiting for Eric to arrive. She had just changed Ava's dirty diaper, and was washing her hands before preparing a bottle when the doorbell rang.

Andrew opened the front door and greeted Eric. "Good to see you again," he said cheerfully to the younger man.

"Thank you for having me," Eric replied cordially. "Are you sure I'm not intruding on your family holiday?"

"Not at all," Andrew assured him. "We opened our gifts this morning, and the afternoon is relaxed. You're more than welcome to come hang out with us."

"Beatrice!" Andrew called. "Your friend is here."

Tris came around the corner from the kitchen, shaking a bottle with one hand while waving to Eric with the other. "I'll be there in a minute," she told the men. "Ava needs to eat soon."

"Ava?" Eric asked Andrew.

"A foster baby," the older man explained. "She just joined us yesterday. Tris is quite smitten with her and has been doing most of the work caring for her."

Andrew led their guest to the living room and offered him a seat on the sofa. Tris joined them a minute later, Ava in one arm and a bottle and burp cloth in the other hand.

"Eric, this is Ava," Tris said as she sat on the couch beside her friend.

Eric glanced over at the infant in Tris' arms. "She's tiny," he said, his voice full of wonder. "How old is she?"

"She was just born yesterday," Tris replied, gazing lovingly at the baby in her arms.

"Why isn't she in the hospital?" Eric asked. "Don't newborns usually stay there for a few days?"

"That's more about the mother's recovery," Natalie answered as the walked into the room. "Baby Ava is healthy, so she had no reason to stay in the hospital."

"Mom, this is my friend Eric," Tris said in introduction. "Eric, this is my mom, Natalie Prior."

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Prior," Eric said, standing to shake the woman's hand.

"Call me Natalie," Tris' mom offered as she shook the trainer's hand.

Eric got along well with the Prior family. He watched football with Andrew and Caleb, complimented Natalie on her cooking, and enjoyed spending time with Tris outside of the school environment.

When the two of them found themselves alone in the living room with baby Ava, Eric asked if he was allowed to hold her. Tris willingly passed the newborn to the large man. She looked even smaller in his big arms.

"She's so beautiful," he said, unable to pull his gaze from the tiny, sleeping face. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course," Tris said. "But if it's about Ava I might not be able to answer."

"Why are you doing all the care for the baby?" Eric asked.

"I can't really say," Tris hedged. "Ava's short life is still a mystery, and the police and social services are working on it. But she and I had a bit of a, um, traumatic experience together yesterday, and we bonded quickly. I kind of insisted on being the one to care for her."

"Are you okay?" Eric asked, turning his concerned gaze toward Tris.

"I'm fine," she insisted. "Totally unharmed, I promise. Someday I'll tell you all about it."

The duo turned their attention back to the television, and Eric relaxed with the baby in his arms.

"This is really soothing," he told Tris during the next commercial break. "You have no idea. I almost… I almost became a dad once. My ex decided she didn't want to be a mom, and had an abortion. I would have gladly taken and raised my child, but she didn't give me that option."

"That's not fair," Tris said. "That was your child, and she took that from you without giving you a choice." She was quiet for a minute, then suddenly said, "Ooh. That explains your drunk texts."

Eric groaned. "I still feel terrible about that. I was such an ass. That's why I don't drink. It never leads to good decisions. That and the hangovers. They're not fun either."

"I deleted the evidence," she assured him. "As long as you don't call me 'Jailbait' again, I'll forgive you."

The rest of the evening was fun and relaxing. When Tris walked her guest to the door at the end of the night, Eric pulled her in for a quick hug. "Thank you so much for inviting me over," he said. "It was nice to spend Christmas with a family. Ava and I were lucky to be taken in today."

Tris hugged Eric again. "Merry Christmas, Warrior," she said before pulling back.

Eric grinned at her. "Merry Christmas, Tris."

.

The rest of Christmas break passed in a blur. Ava put on weight and slept a little longer each night while staying awake for longer stretches of the day. She ate, slept, dirtied her diapers, and had the whole Prior family wrapped around her little finger.

Tris devoted most of her time to caring for the little girl, soaking up every hour they had together. She took pictures and used the new scrapbook that Caleb had given her for Christmas to journal about Ava's first days. She wrote about how she had found the baby, and attached her hospital bracelet to the page. She recorded the story of how she chose the baby's name and what it meant.

Eric and Tris continued to text back and forth - just little greetings and comments, shared jokes and friendly banter. When Andrew and Natalie went to a party on New Year's Eve and Caleb went out with friends, Tris was happy to stay home with Ava. She put in an old movie and settled down with a bowl of popcorn and a freshly prepared bottle for Ava. When her phone lit up, Tris was excited to see a message from Eric.

**E: Big plans for New Year's Eve?**

**T: Girls night, just me and Ava.**

**E: Everyone go partying without you?**

**T: Yes. And there's nowhere I'd rather be.**

**E: You really love that baby, don't you?**

**T: What's not to love?**

**T: Just between us, because I'm not supposed to talk about Ava's case, she probably won't be here much longer. My parents haven't done foster care in a long time. We only took Ava because it was Christmas Eve. If they don't figure out her case, the social worker will put her in a long-term foster after the holidays. We might only have her for another day or two.**

A moment after she hit send on the text, Tris' phone rang. A picture of her and Eric, which her mom had taken on Christmas, appeared on the screen.

"Hello?" she said, her voice cracking with emotion.

"Tris," Eric said, his own voice deep.

"Don't," Tris pleaded as she began to cry.

"Oh, Baby, I'm so sorry," Eric said.

"Stop making me cry," she said with a laugh that was half sob. "I have Ava with me now, and I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts. I can cry when she's gone."

"That's a good way to look at it," Eric said gently. "I have other news," he offered, attempting to change the subject.

"Good or bad?" Tris asked warily.

"Well, good," Eric said hesitantly, "though it could complicate our friendship a bit."

"How so?" Tris asked, wondering if he was about to tell her that he had a new girlfriend or something.

"Max called me today," Eric began.

"You got the job?" Tris asked excitedly.

"I did," Eric confirmed.

"Of course you did, Warrior," Tris enthused. "You're Dauntless personified. You're a great trainer, and Max would be dumb not to hire you."

Eric chuckled. "You're going to give me a big ego, Tris."

"Nonsense," Tris said dismissively. "I'm just telling you the truth."

"Regardless," Eric said. "It complicates our friendship a bit since I'll be your teacher again, or at least a teacher at the high school you attend."

Tris sighed. "I guess it does. I don't want you to get into trouble for fraternizing with a student. My dad's campaign probably wouldn't appreciate that story either."

"What does that mean, Tris?"

"That means you're a teacher, and I'm a student," she replied. "I'll go to college in the mornings, and see you in class or in the halls in the afternoons. You'll coach hockey; I'll do gymnastics. We'll be busy. It will go quick. Graduation will be here before we know it."

Tris tried to stay positive and upbeat, but she knew that she would miss her budding friendship with Eric. When they hung up the phone, she gave in to her emotions and had a good cry before tucking Ava into her bassinet and going to bed well before the new year dawned.

.

When school started again, Tris attended her classes and did her work with the same determination as always. The same could not be said for gymnastics. Tris attended her practices and meets, but her heart wasn't in it anymore.

Andrew went back to Springfield right after the new year, and Caleb flew back to Baltimore a few days later.

Ava had a follow up appointment at the hospital, and the doctor was thrilled with the way the foundling was growing, thriving, and bonding with the Prior women. Social services updated Natalie about Ava's case. No one had come forward looking for the infant, and the baby's DNA didn't turn up anything either. Tris was relieved and thrilled when everyone, including her parents, decided that it was best for the infant to remain in their home while the investigation continued.

Tris' eighteenth birthday landed on a Thursday. When she walked into her homeroom at the end of the day on Wednesday, Christina immediately bombarded her.

"There's my almost birthday girl bestie!" the energetic girl greeted, wrapping Tris in a surprise hug.

"Volume down, Chris," Tris teased as she hugged her friend back.

"Yeah, Woman," Will chimed in. "You're making me deaf."

"Oh shut it," Christina said, swatting at them playfully.

"What?" Will asked, poking at his ear like he couldn't hear her.

The students laughed, and Christina started talking at a more normal volume level. "What are we doing for your birthday?" she asked Tris.

"I don't know," Tris replied. "I didn't have anything planned."

"No party?" Christina pouted.

"I'm not turning eight, Chris."

"Come on!" Christina whined.

"Not tomorrow night," Tris said. "I'll be with my family. But we can do something on Friday. Not too late, though. I have a gymnastics meet on Saturday morning. Oh, and I have to check with my mom first. I have to make sure she'll be home for the baby."

"You and that baby," Christina pouted. "You act like it's your own child or something."

"It's not, obviously," Tris replied. "It's a long story, and you know I can't talk about it. But baby and I have a special bond."

"It's Caleb's, isn't it," Christina speculated. "He knocked up some girl, and you're all pretending it's a foster child to keep it from your dad's campaign."

"What!?" Tris practically roared. "Don't say crap like that! That's nowhere near correct, and you're going to start rumors! The baby is of no family relation to us whatsoever. Besides, I doubt Caleb would know what to do with a girl if he had one!"

They laughed, but Tris was still fuming on the inside. Fortunately, the bell rang and homeroom started.

Eric was teaching the seniors' homeroom that day, and he heard the exchange with Christina. He kept an eye on Tris throughout the class period, and could see the tension in her posture.

Seconds before the final bell, Eric announced, "Miss Prior, I need a moment with you after class."

The bell rang and everyone bolted except Tris. She stayed in her desk while Eric moved around to the front of his, leaning back on it and crossing his arms.

"You still have Ava?" he asked quietly.

"She's doing well," Tris said as she nodded in the affirmative. "She's eight pounds now. Her cheeks are filling out. The doctor said she's healthy, thriving, and attached to us. It's almost more than we could have hoped with her beginning."

"I look forward to hearing that whole story someday," Eric said.

They sat silently for a minute, both content to be in the other's presence again. Tris had to bite her lip to keep from telling Eric that she missed him, and he struggled to not pull her into his arms for a hug.

"Did you drive today?" he asked instead, secretly hoping that she would say no so he could offer her a ride.

"I did," she said instead. "It's too cold to walk now."

Eric reluctantly dismissed his student.

.

The next day, Tris returned home from her community college class expecting her usual lunch with Natalie and Ava. But two surprises were waiting for her. The first was that Andrew came home a day early to spend Tris' birthday with her. The second surprise was a vase full of beautiful yellow roses.

"Did you bring me flowers?" Tris asked her dad.

He claimed that he had not, so Tris grabbed the card attached to the arrangement and opened it.

"Eighteen yellow roses, the flower of friendship, for my friend on her eighteenth birthday. No longer JB. Your W"

Tris smiled as she read the card. "Who are they from?" Natalie asked.

"Eric," she said as she handed the card to her mother.

"What does all this mean?" Natalie asked.

"It's an inside joke from when he graduated and I was there with Dad. Just silliness."

"I thought we'd see more of him after Christmas," Andrew commented.

"Factions hired him permanently," Tris explained. "The only class I have with him is homeroom once or twice a week, but we thought it would be best to suspend our friendship until we're not student and teacher in the same school. I didn't want there to be any trouble for his career or your campaign, Dad."

"That's very wise, Beatrice," Andrew replied. "I can't believe that both of my children are adults now. It seems like only yesterday you were taking your first steps."

"Maybe this will help," Tris offered, placing little Ava in her father's arms.

"No," Andrew replied as he gazed at the infant. "This makes me feel like an old man. Ava feels like a grandchild to me. I don't do much of her day-to-day care."

"Well, I'm not old yet, so neither are you," Natalie said as she handed Ava's bottle to Andrew. "She'll need a diaper soon if that makes you feel young again."

Tris laughed. She enjoyed her parents' banter and being together.

.

On Friday night, Tris gave in to her best friend and went out to celebrate her birthday. A group of their friends met for dinner at a local diner. Tris ate a burger, fries, and a milkshake - which she knew she would regret the next day at her gymnastics meet.

After dinner Tris and her closest friends went to visit Coach Tori at her part-time side job. Tori's brother George, who was also Coach Amar's husband, owned a tattoo parlor. Tori worked for him over the summer and during school breaks. She also picked up a shift now and then by appointment. It had become something of a Dauntless tradition for students to go see Tori for tattoos on their eighteenth birthdays.

Tori was expecting Tris, and took her into a private room in the back, much to Christina's displeasure. When they emerged about an hour later, Christina had gotten a new stud in her nose, and everyone else was messing around on their phones and showing each other silly memes.

"Show and tell time!" Christina squealed, making Uriah startle and nearly fall out of his chair.

Tris laughed at her friend and tugged the neckline of her black t-shirt to the side so her friends could see her new tattoo. Three ravens were tattooed along Tris' collarbone. They looked like they were taking flight. "It's for my family," Tris explained. "With Caleb off to college, Dad running for Senate, and me about to graduate, it feels like we're all taking flight. This way I can keep them with me."

.

On Monday Eric was back with the seniors in homeroom. He noticed Tris' new tattoo peeking out from the neckline of her Dauntless tank top, and he wondered what she had gotten. He resisted the urge to ask her to stay after class again, and instead busied himself with paperwork as the students filed out. When he glanced up expecting an empty room, he was surprised to see Tris lingering in the doorway.

"I just wanted to thank you for the flowers," Tris said, blushing as she struggled to maintain eye contact with Eric.

He grinned broadly at her. The flowers were probably over the line coming from a teacher to a student, but Eric knew that Tris would keep it to herself, and he couldn't very well ignore her birthday after she had saved Christmas for him.

"You're welcome, Jailbait," he teased her.

"I told you to never call me that again," she pouted. "And besides, it's not true anymore anyway!"

"That's right," Eric said, staying at his desk to keep a classroom of space between himself and Tris. "But you're still grounds for termination. Should I call you 'Terminator' now?"

"I'm allowed to socialize with Lauren and Tori," Tris complained. "And you and I are practically the same age. I hate that I have to pretend that we aren't friends."

"You know why," Eric cautioned.

"I know," Tris said resignedly. "I'm just too tempting," she laughed. "See you around, Warrior."

_You have no idea how right you are_, Eric thought to himself.


	6. Chapter 6

Ava continued to grow and thrive under Tris' care and Natalie's watchful supervision. Gymnastics season ended in mid-February, and Tris devoted herself even more to nurturing the baby. She journaled about the little one's progress, and filled the scrapbook with pictures and mementos.

One day Tris came home from school to find the infant wide awake and fresh from a nap, diaper change, and bottle. As she greeted the little one, Ava's chubby face split into her first real smile. Tris grinned back and got her to repeat the trick for Natalie. She sent pictures to Caleb, who video called his sister to try and make the baby smile for him, too.

February also brought Tris' university acceptance letter. Not only was she accepted to attend in the child development and psychology department, but the university had offered her a sizeable scholarship. Andrew, Natalie, and Caleb were all proud of her. Coach Max announced her acceptance and scholarship award at the monthly Dauntless "family meeting" homeroom, as well.

That evening Tris got a brief congratulatory text from Eric, who offered to talk with her about what professors and classes she should look at when it came time for her to register. Having just graduated from the closely related education program at the same school, he knew many of the classes and professors that Tris would have. She thanked him for the offer and reminded him that she wouldn't be able to register until summer, but would definitely talk with him about it then.

Tris decided not to participate in any spring sports. Her friends started to complain that she never hung out with them anymore. Tris blamed her college courses and her father's campaign, but in reality her whole heart was focused on little Ava. Natalie and Andrew began to worry again that the teenager and infant were getting too attached to one another. They encouraged Tris to go out and have fun with her friends, but Tris was happiest at home with the baby she had rescued.

.

Winter slowly thawed, and by the beginning of March the investigation into Ava's background had still gone nowhere. Tris turned down several potential prom dates, but did agree to go with her friends. She shopped for dresses with Christina (who was going with Will), Marlene (who was going with Uriah), and Lynn (who only agreed to go because Tris also didn't have a date and they promised not to make her wear heels). The six of them rented a limo and had a good time at dinner and the dance.

Natalie and Tris had moved Ava into a crib by that time. They converted the guest room to a temporary nursery where Ava's little clothes hung in the closet and her crib took up one wall. Though Ava slept for longer stretches, the receiving end of the baby monitor was still with Tris most nights. On prom night Natalie and Andrew took it so their daughter could stay out late with her friends and sleep in the next morning.

Natalie was in the kitchen that next morning, preparing breakfast for her husband and talking to the baby she wore in a carrying sling. As she started the coffee maker for the morning's second pot, she was surprised to hear the doorbell. She rushed to the door before the visitor could ring the bell again and risk waking Tris.

When she looked through the peephole, Natalie was surprised to see Eric on the other side, his expression distraught and his eyes rimmed red. She threw open the door for the young teacher.

"Eric!" she said with alarm. "Are you alright?"

"No," he replied. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Prior. I just… I need to talk to someone, and I didn't know where to go."

"Come in, come in," Natalie said, ushering him into the warm house and shutting the door. "I just started a fresh pot of coffee. Come sit down in the kitchen with me. Andrew will be down shortly. Beatrice is asleep; she had prom last night and got home late."

Eric just nodded as he absorbed Natalie's comforting maternal chatter. He washed his hands at the kitchen sink and sat down at the table while she poured him a cup of coffee.

"How's Ava?" Eric asked as he noticed the baby's downy head sticking out of the sling Natalie wore.

"Growing like a weed, and getting rolly-poly," Natalie replied. "She smiles at us now, though she's a bit crabby this morning. She has a little cold, and she missed Tris last night. They're as attached as mother and daughter, and I'm afraid it won't go well for either of them when Ava moves on."

"Is that… Is that happening soon?" Eric asked. "I know you can't really talk about it, but I just wondered if you heard anything."

"No news yet," Natalie said. "So we just enjoy every day we get with her."

Andrew walked in to the kitchen and was surprised to find Eric at the table. "It's good to see you again," the older man greeted. "Is everything alright?"

"Not really," Eric replied with a sigh. "I'm sorry to just barge in on you like this. I got some rather... rather difficult news this morning, and I didn't know where to turn. I just started running, and when I realized where I was I took a chance that someone might be home."

"You're welcome here any time," Natalie assured him, placing a hand on his shoulder as she handed Andrew his coffee.

"Absolutely," Andrew agreed. "Beatrice told us you don't have any family. We're more than happy to help if we can."

"Do you want to talk about it with us, or should I wake Tris?" Natalie asked.

"Please don't wake her," Eric said, a hint of alarm in his voice. "I shouldn't have bothered you."

As the younger man took a deep breath and a sip of his coffee, the Priors watched his shoulders slump in defeat.

"I got a call from the police this morning," he said. "My ex-girlfriend and I broke up back in October. We were on-again-off-again and unstable at best, but I tried to stick it out. She had a rough background - came from a broken family. She had been addicted to drugs at one point, but was clean when we got together. Apparently she was still struggling, because she ended things with me and disappeared."

He sighed as he continued speaking. "Her boss and landlord called me when she didn't show up for them either. I didn't want to get back together with her, but I was worried. I called the police and filed a report, but she was an adult and there was nothing they could do. Then they called me this morning because her body was found in an alley last night. She overdosed. I… I had to go in and… identify the body."

Andrew placed a warm hand on the younger man's large, tattooed arm, and Natalie slid her chair closer so she could rub his back soothingly.

"I can't imagine how painful it would be to have to identify someone," Andrew said. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

Eric nodded mutely and swiped at the moisture that had gathered in his eyes. Natalie slid back from the table and began extracting Ava from the carrier sling.

"Eric," she said gently, "would you mind holding her while I finish getting breakfast together?"

Natalie knew that holding the warm baby could be soothing for jangled nerves. She remembered Eric holding Ava on Christmas and knew that he liked babies. She hoped that the infant would bring him some peace.

Eric accepted the baby, and smiled at her as she was passed to him. Ava smiled back at the stranger. "Look at you!" Eric exclaimed in a half-laugh, half-choked sob. "She's so big now!" He made faces at the baby and blew raspberries on her chubby cheeks.

Ava rewarded him with a laugh that stopped Natalie and Andrew in their tracks.

"Did she just…" Andrew began.

"Oh dear," Natalie said, smiling, but with worry in her voice. "This is the first milestone Tris has missed."

"Milestone?" Eric asked as he continued making faces at the baby.

"That's the first time we've heard her laugh," Natalie said.

"Am I funny looking to you?" Eric asked the baby in a silly voice. Ava waved her arms wildly and smiled again in reply.

Natalie set plates of food in front of the two men and offered to take the baby from Eric, but he declined. Holding her in one arm, he tried to take a bite with his other hand, but the wiggly baby kept reaching for his food.

"Does she eat food yet?" Eric asked.

"Not for another month or two," Natalie informed him. "She's still on formula only, but she's getting grabby and wants to get her hands on anything that gets close to her."

Eric did his best to eat as he visited with Tris' parents. Ava grew increasingly fussy, so Natalie prepared a bottle and took the little one to put her down for her morning nap.

Andrew and Eric were talking about the Senate campaign when Tris walked into the kitchen. Her hair was wild from sleep and the after effects of her prom updo, and she wore only a t-shirt and a pair of rather short sleep shorts. Eric swallowed hard and dropped his gaze to his now-empty coffee mug. Tris turned, and squeaked when she saw Eric before bolting back up the stairs to her bedroom. Andrew laughed at his daughter and led the conversation back to what they were discussing before the half-asleep teenager had wandered in.

When Tris came back into the kitchen, she was dressed in yoga pants and a sweatshirt, and her hair was somewhat tamed by a messy bun. "I didn't know parent-teacher conferences were housecalls now," she teased as she poured a cup of coffee for herself and offered Eric and Andrew refills.

"No," Eric said sadly as he remembered what had brought him to their door. "Just another orphan off the street who needed someone this morning."

Andrew patted Eric on the shoulder as he stood from the table. "I need to get back to work," he said. "I'll leave you two to talk." He kissed his daughter on the forehead as he walked out of the room.

"Do you want to move into the living room?" Tris offered. Eric agreed, so they relocated and got comfortable on the couch.

"What's the matter?" Tris asked.

"I got a call from the police this morning," Eric said, dropping his gaze to his lap. He told her about his ex-girlfriend's death and identifying the body.

"I asked about the pregnancy," he told Tris, sharing with her what he had left out when he spoke with her parents. "She should have been due at the end of January or beginning of February, so I knew she wasn't pregnant when she died. But I had to know if anything had turned up. I had to ask."

Tris reached across the couch and took her friend's hand. Eric needed her support, and she needed to give it. "The coroner said there was nothing about a child in the police report, and that the examination he had done showed nothing that would indicate that she had recently given birth. I… I'm sure she went ahead with the abortion. The track marks on her arms looked like she'd been using again for some time. Identifying her body was gruesome, but accepting that she really did abort my child is devastating. I knew better, Tris, but part of me never stopped hoping."

Tris reached for the tissue box and took one for herself before passing them to Eric. He sniffled and dropped his head as he began to sob. Tris crawled across the couch and wrapped her arms around Eric's large body. He turned himself toward her and rested his forehead on her shoulder as he continued to weep.

Tris ran her fingers through his hair soothingly and whispered gently in his ear as Eric cried. "It's okay, Warrior," she soothed. "Let it all out. I know that was hard. It's okay to grieve for your child, and for your ex. You are strong, and brave, and smart. You will get through this, and you don't have to do it alone. I've got you."

Natalie walked by the living room as her daughter was comforting the large man. She saw the way the two of them looked at each other when they were in the same room. She also appreciated their commitment to keeping their relationship professional and somewhat distant while Tris was in school. But today Eric needed somebody, and Natalie had no problem with the young teacher leaning on their family for support.

Eric stayed for lunch with the Priors, and even confessed to Tris that Ava had laughed for him in the morning. Tris stuck her lip out at the baby, who smiled in reply.

"It's okay," Tris said to the infant. "You knew he needed you today." Turning to Eric, Tris added, "But you have to put it in the baby book."

Before the baby's afternoon nap, Tris got Eric to make her smile and giggle again while she took pictures. Once Ava was asleep, Tris told Eric about the baby book, and explained that she had been chronicling the infant's story for her future family. Eric dutifully took the offered pen and wrote a brief account of how he, a friend of the family, had stopped by to talk to the Priors after learning about the passing of a friend. Without oversharing his personal details, Eric recorded the story of Ava's first laugh.

Tris printed two copies of a picture she had taken, and put one in the baby book while giving the other copy to Eric. The teacher promised to honor the foster child's privacy and keep the photo only for his own memory of how the tiny little person had made his devastating day more bearable.

After Eric was gone, Tris thanked her parents for the generous way they welcomed her friend and helped him through a bad day. "I know he didn't tell you the whole story," Tris said. "Melinda was pregnant with their child when she broke up with him and left. She planned to have an abortion against Eric's wishes, and he had police and even private detectives looking for her in the hope that his child was out there somewhere. When her body turned up, the coroner confirmed that she had not been pregnant recently. So Eric isn't just dealing with the death of an ex and the strain of identifying her body. He was facing the reality that his child was gone, too."

"Oh dear," Natalie responded. "Did I make a mistake in having him hold Ava?"

"I don't think so," Andrew comforted his wife. "You saw the way he reacted to her. And that little girl gave him her first giggle."

Tris nodded. "It's like she knew he needed that. Eric didn't want to throw all of that at you guys this morning, but he told me it was okay for me to share it with you. The whole thing is weird since I'm still a student, and we're trying to respect that. But if either of you want to reach out to him, I put his phone number on the whiteboard."

"I think I'll do that," Andrew said. "I can speak to him father to father. Your mother and I lost a baby before Caleb, so I know part of what he's going through. Maybe it will help if I tell him that."

Tris beamed at her parents. "You guys are the best," she said. "I'm so glad I can talk to you and that you're not all weird because I'm friends with a teacher."

"The way the two of you are careful and aware makes a big difference," Natalie said. "If you had a different attitude I might be concerned."

.

The phone rang on Monday afternoon, and Natalie was surprised to see the social services office on the caller ID. Sally had regularly scheduled check-ins with the Priors to keep an eye on baby Ava and keep the family informed about her case. But she wasn't due to call for at least a few more days, so Natalie knew there was news.

"Natalie," Sally greeted Mrs. Prior. "How's baby Ava doing?"

Natalie filled her in on all the baby's growth and development milestones, and Sally oohed and ahhed over the baby's newfound giggle.

"I'm glad to hear she's doing so well," Sally said. "We've had some progress in her case. I'm afraid it's bad news, but it might lead to something more. The police found a body here in town over the weekend. It was a young woman who had died from a drug overdose. The DNA results came in, and it appears she was Ava's birth mother."

Natalie gasped, immediately thinking of Eric's ex and the baby she allegedly aborted. _Could Ava be Eric's daughter?_ she wondered.

"Now, I don't know anything more about her next of kin or a possible father, yet," Sally continued. "A friend identified the body, so we're reaching out to him to see if he knows about other family or…"

"Sally," Natalie interrupted.

"Yes, Natalie?"

"I know you can't tell me much about your investigation or what the police are saying, but I have to tell you something. My daughter is good friends with a teacher at Factions High named Eric Coulter. Eric was here over the weekend talking to us because he was upset after being called in to identify the body of his ex-girlfriend who died of a drug overdose. If this was downtown Chicago it might be just another OD, but I'm guessing that's not an everyday occurrence in this part of the suburbs, and we might be talking about the same case. If it is, and if you're trying to reach Eric about Ava, you have my permission to tell him anything and everything. In fact, I would love to be there and let Tris tell him the story of how Ava came to our family. That man is grieving hard because his ex told him she aborted his child. If he's Ava's father, this is pretty incredible."

"Wow," said the stunned social worker. "I just… wow. That's the name of the contact who identified the body of Ava's mother. Eric Coulter."


	7. Chapter 7

Natalie made a plan with Ava's caseworker, Sally. Sally would call Eric and request that he come in to her office to discuss Melinda Grant's death. During the visit, Eric would be asked to submit a DNA sample so they could run a paternity test. Natalie agreed to talk to Tris, and to bring her daughter and the baby to the social services office at the same time as Eric's visit.

The moment Tris walked into the house, she could tell that something happened. Natalie sat her daughter down and explained that social services got a DNA match with baby Ava. Tris' chin quivered, so Natalie hurried to add that the match for Ava's birth mother was with someone who was deceased.

"So nothing changes?" Tris asked quickly. "Ava had a mother, but she's dead? She stays with us for now?"

Natalie held up her hands to stop her frantic daughter. "The body of Ava's mother was found over the weekend. She died of a drug overdose. Ava's mother was Eric's ex-girlfriend."

Tris' eyes grew wide with shock, then hope. "So she's…. So… Oh my God! Is Ava Eric's daughter?"

"She might be," Natalie answered. "Sally is calling Eric in to her office today to tell him and get a DNA sample for a paternity test."

Tears began streaming down Tris' face. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?" her mother asked.

"Nothing," Tris choked out. "I'm just so overwhelmed! I'm happy, and I'm sad, and I'm scared, and I don't know what to do!"

Just then the phone rang, and Natalie hurried to answer it. She returned a minute later with a smile on her face.

"Eric is on his way to the social services office. Sally called him in to talk about Melinda's death. I've told her everything I know and given her permission to tell him about us, and Ava, and the whole story. We think it would be best if you and Ava came down to the office, too. It will take a couple days to know for sure if he's the biological father, and if he is there will be background checks, home studies, interviews, and all the usual red tape before Eric can take his daughter home, so Ava will stay here with us until everything is cleared."

"I don't know what to do," Tris admitted.

"Go change out of your school uniform, and bring the baby book. Eric might like to take it home and read everything while we wait for the results. I already packed the diaper bag, and I'll get Ava bundled up to go out."

Tris hurried to follow her mother's instructions. She took off her Dauntless track jacket and threw a sweater over her tank top. She traded her running shoes for ballet flats and grabbed Ava's baby book as she hurried back downstairs.

Natalie and Tris arrived at the social services office, and sat down in the waiting area. As Tris was unbundling the baby from her snowsuit, Sally stepped out of her office and poured two cups of coffee. She greeted Natalie and Tris, and explained that Eric was in her office, and that they had been talking about Melinda's death.

"I need to ask him for a DNA sample," the social worker said quietly. "But I hate to admit that I'm a little intimidated. He's huge!"

Natalie and Tris laughed. "He's a teddy bear, I promise," Natalie said. "Would you like me to come in there with you?"

Sally stuck her head in the office door and handed Eric a cup of coffee. "Natalie Prior is out here, would you mind if I brought her in for a moment to say hi?"

Eric readily agreed and stood to greet Tris' mom with a hug. As Sally scurried back behind her desk to sit down, Natalie took the chair beside Eric's. She placed a hand on the young man's back in a supportive and motherly way.

The caseworker cleared her throat and began talking. "Melinda's death came to the attention of my office because we've been searching for the parents of an abandoned infant."

Natalie noticed that Eric began to shake, so she gently removed the cup of hot coffee from his hand and set it on the desktop.

"A DNA sample from the body was run against our database, and it came up positive. Your friend was the mother of a baby in our custody. You were listed as the one who identified the body, so we originally asked you to come in hoping that you could help us find family for the baby. But when I called the infant's foster family, Natalie here put the pieces together."

"Ava," Eric breathed.

"Yes," Natalie said gently. "Ava was Melinda's daughter. We need to find out if you're her father. Will you submit a DNA sample so they can do a paternity test?"

"Of course," Eric said, his voice still astonished and thick with emotion. "What do I do?"

Sally opened a drawer and pulled out a sealed package containing the test kit. She explained to Eric how to do a cheek swab, and he immediately did as instructed.

"Results will take one to two business days," Sally informed them. "We should know by Thursday morning at the latest. Should the test come back positive, Mr. Coulter, you will have the opportunity to apply for custody. The process is fairly straightforward. We'll have some paperwork, an interview, and a home visit to make sure you are prepared to provide a safe and healthy home to the baby. Do you have any questions?"

Eric shook his head, then stopped himself. "I have a lot of questions," he said, "I just don't know what they are yet."

Natalie and Sally chuckled. Sally handed him a business card and told him to call with any questions that came up, and also to call if he hadn't heard back from her by noon on Thursday. Natalie wrapped her arms around the young man and gave him a gentle squeeze. "Right now I'm taking you home for dinner," she told him. "Beatrice and Ava have a story to tell you."

After a delicious and filling dinner, Natalie went upstairs to call Andrew and tell him all about the developments in Ava's case while Tris led Eric into the living room. She encouraged him to sit in the big, comfortable recliner, then changed Ava's diaper and dressed her in pajamas before handing her to Eric for her bedtime bottle.

As Ava and Eric stared lovingly at one another, Tris began to speak. "Ava was born on Christmas Eve." She paused to gather her thoughts. "I woke up early that morning. I could have slept in, but I was restless form all the holiday junk food, and the weather was mild, so I decided to go running. I took off from here and ran my usual route, but it felt so good that I decided to go a little farther. When I was coming around the corner by the old KMart that's being renovated I saw some litter on the ground by a garbage can, so I decided to pick it up."

Tris glanced up to see Eric staring at her, a shocked expression on his face as he realized where the story was going.

"The scrap of fabric moved," Tris continued. "I pulled out my earphones and heard a noise that I thought was a kitten. But when I moved the blanket, it was a baby. She was brand new, tiny, and still dirty and chalky-looking from birth. She was cold, but she was alive. I tucked her little body into my vest to warm her up and I called my mom. Then I called the police."

By this time Ava had finished the bottle, so Tris helped Eric move her to his shoulder and burp her. Once the baby was settled, he moved her small form to rest on his chest, and Tris covered them with a receiving blanket.

"I don't remember what happened after that. I guess I was in shock. Paramedics came, and I rode to the hospital in the ambulance with her. I told the story of how I came to find this little baby over and over to police, doctors, and social workers. It was Christmas Eve, so they were worried about finding a foster family to take a last minute placement. My parents used to foster, and they're still licensed, so my mom offered.

"From the first moment I laid eyes on her, Ava and I have been connected. The paramedics said that every time they set her down during their examination, I picked her up. When Mom and Sally did an emergency Walmart run so we would have what we needed to bring her home, I stayed at the hospital. Her bassinet was in my bedroom, and the baby monitor is in there now. During those first days, between the shock of it all and the lack of sleep, I was a zombie. I don't remember a lot of that time, but all I could think of was Ava.

"I named her the day I found her. I sat right where you are all evening and searched the internet for name meanings. Ava means 'living,' or 'breathing.' Her middle name is Hope. I didn't do anything to save that baby's life; I was just in the right place at the right time. It took a lot of work on God's part to put all those pieces together. Her life is a miracle."

Eric grabbed a tissue and wiped at the tears that streamed down his face.

"I got a tattoo for her," Tris said quietly. "I haven't shown it to anyone. They all knew about my ravens, but only Tori knows about the other one."

Tris stood and lifted the bottom of her sweater and tank, revealing beautiful script that twisted up her ribcage. "Where there is life, there is hope," it read.

"I wrote all about it in the baby book," Tris said. "I always knew we couldn't keep her, but I wanted her to feel completely loved while she was with us, and I wanted her forever family to know her story, and have pictures of her as a newborn. I knew they might change her name, so I wrote in there about how I decided to call her Ava Hope, and what it means. My mom suggested that you should take the baby book home and read it while we wait for the test results."

Eric nodded. "I'd like that," he said in a husky voice.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, both of their minds swirling with the events of Ava's short little life.

"Is there anything else that you want to know?" Tris asked. "Anything I can do?"

"It's kind of overwhelming," Eric said, "yet all I can do is wait. How about a hug?"

He slid to one side of the oversized recliner, shifting Ava to one arm to make room for Tris. She slid into the chair beside Eric, wrapping her arms around his torso as she rested her head on his shoulder and watched Ava sleep on his other shoulder. He wrapped his arm around Tris. The three of them barely fit together in the chair, but they held on to one another for dear life.

.

A sudden cold feeling woke Eric from a deep sleep. He was disoriented in the semi-darkness until he recognized Natalie standing beside him, Ava sleeping in her arms. He put his free hand on his surprisingly cold and empty-feeling chest where the baby had been laying, and looked up at the woman standing beside him.

She motioned for him to stay quiet, then whispered to him. "You fell asleep, but it's late and you have school tomorrow. I'll take Ava to her crib. You wake Beatrice or carry her to her bed."

Eric nodded and gathered the young woman in his arms before standing and following her mother upstairs. Natalie pointed out Tris' room, then entered a different bedroom with the baby.

Eric carefully carried Tris into the bedroom indicated and placed her on the bed. She mumbled and rolled onto her side as he covered her with the blankets.

"You're an incredible young woman, Beatrice Prior," Eric whispered as he planted a kiss on Tris' forehead.

"Eric," she mumbled in her sleep, making him smile.

.

Everyone was on pins and needles as they waited for the results of Eric's paternity test. Eric made endless lists of the things he would need before he could bring a baby home. He obsessively cleaned the townhome he had bought in January when he started working full-time. He researched car seats and cribs, diaper brands and infant milestones. He found a home study checklist on the internet and stated updating things that didn't meet the standards.

On Wednesday after school, he was changing out the blinds in his second bedroom for a set without the pull cord he had just learned was dangerous, when his phone rang. His heart raced as he recognized the number that had called him in to the social services office on Monday.

"Hello?" he said nervously.

"Mr. Coulter?" asked the voice he'd been waiting for. "This is Sally Rogers. I'm calling to let you know that your paternity test results are in."

"Okay," Eric said, practically holding his breath as he waited to learn his fate.

"I feel like Maury Povitch," the social worker laughed, but Eric didn't join her. "Congratulations, Mr. Coulter, you _are_ the father of baby Ava."

Eric's breath left his body in a whoosh as he dropped to his knees right there on the bedroom floor. With tears streaming down his face, he thanked the social worker, who promised to email him right away with paperwork to fill out and all the information about next steps toward gaining custody of his daughter.

"I do have one question for you," she concluded. "You don't have to know right now, but just in case you've thought about it already, do you know what the baby's name is going to be? She hasn't had a last name yet, and the Priors have been calling her Ava, but you can pick whatever you want, and they can start calling her that now to ease the transition."

"Ava Hope Coulter," Eric said confidently. "That's my daughter's name."

After ending the call with the social worker, Eric didn't move. He stayed on his knees in the middle of the bedroom that would soon house his daughter as wave after wave of emotion crashed over him. All the anger, loss, and devastation that Melinda put him through when she took his child away and turned back to drugs. All the hope, joy, and frustration of his arm's length friendship with Tris. The awe, wonder, and relief he experienced when she told him Ava's story. The hope, fear, and anxiety that had kept him awake at night while he waited for the test results. Everything crashed over him in an overwhelming torrent.

Eventually Eric became aware that his feet were asleep, and it was growing dark outside. He grabbed his phone and saw two missed calls from Tris and the email from the social worker. He decided to call Tris first.

.

At the Prior's home, Tris and Natalie were facing a similar torrent of emotions. Their miracle baby had a family and a name. Tris was overjoyed that Eric had chosen to keep Ava's name, and pleased with how it sounded with his last name. She was also excited that Eric's custody might lead to Ava staying in their lives, at least to some extent. She tried to call him, but there was no answer. She hoped he was happy with the results.

They had just sat down to a late dinner of delivered pizza when Van Halen's song _Hot for Teacher_ began blasting out of Tris' phone. She looked at her mother in confusion, then pulled it out of her pocket. Eric's face was on the screen, the same picture that appeared when he texted.

"Hello?" she said.

"Tris? It's Eric," the caller replied.

"Have you ever called me before?" she asked.

Eric thought that was an odd question considering everything that was going on with his daughter, but he thought about it for a minute.

"I don't think so," he replied. "Maybe during Christmas break, but we usually text."

"Caleb," Tris said, shaking her head.

"Your brother?" Eric asked. "What does he have to do with anything?"

Tris laughed. "Sorry, Eric. It seems my brother pulled a prank on me. And since you and I don't talk on the phone, it took, what, three months to play out?"

"I'm still confused," Eric replied.

"You have a custom ringtone I didn't give you," Tris said.

"And what song did your brother assign to me?" Eric asked as he began to understand what was going on.

"Um…" Tris hedged, blushing furiously as Natalie laughed so hard tears were running down her cheeks. "_Hot for Teacher_?" she squeaked shyly, making Eric chuckle. "You should see my mom," Tris said. "She's laughing so hard she's crying. It's not that funny."

.

Tris and Natalie invited Eric to the house again, and he jumped at the chance to spend time with his daughter and ask some questions about caring for an infant and working with social services.

It was Ava's bedtime when Eric arrived, so Tris walked him through the process of bathing, changing, and feeding the infant while she talked about the importance of sleep schedules and bedtime routines. Once Ava was settled for the night, the adults sat down to talk about logistics.

"Can I ask you some questions?" Natalie asked Eric.

"Of course," he replied, giving Tris' mom his full attention.

"What are your living arrangements like?"

"I own a three-bedroom townhouse over on Cherry Street," Eric replied.

"Any roommates or pets?" Natalie questioned.

Eric shook his head.

"You're not seeing anyone?" she prodded.

"No," Eric said, resisting the urge to glance at Tris.

"Good," Natalie said. "That will streamline the process with social services. Have you looked into babyproofing or what they'll look for at your home study?"

"I printed a list I found online," Eric said. "I started doing a few things, and I brought the list along so you can tell me if it's accurate."

He pulled a folded paper out of his pocket and smoothed it out before passing it across the coffee table. Natalie noticed that several items were checked off. She talked through the list with Eric, adding a few thoughts about what was priority with an infant placement, and what could wait.

"The other thing you need to think about right away is daycare," Natalie told the frazzled father.

Eric nodded. "I've been thinking about that," he said. "One thing I don't know is how soon I could have Ava with me. Are we talking about next week, a month, or longer than that? There are two months left in the school year and then I'm off for the summer. I figured by fall I could find a long-term daycare option. So for now I just need to worry about the end of this school year."

"I can babysit," Tris offered eagerly. "I'd love to keep spending time with Ava."

"You still have school too," Natalie reminded her daughter. "I'd be happy to help, but as the Senate campaign gets busy, that could get complicated."

"Some of the seniors get work permits and leave for their jobs instead of going to homeroom," Tris suggested. "It doesn't solve everything, but it gives us another option in the afternoons."

"You might also have the option to take some paternity leave," Natalie suggested. "I think it would be a good idea if we all sat down with Max and talked about what's going on."

Eric agreed. "I'll check with him tomorrow and see what we can set up, but I just started in January, so that might be asking a lot."

Natalie excused herself and left the two young people to talk.

"How are you feeling?" Tris asked when they were alone.

"Overwhelmed," Eric said honestly. He reached toward Tris, then pulled his hand back.

"Warrior, we left teacher and student a long time ago," Tris said as she reached for his hand. "We have to be professional and everything, but we're going through some heavy stuff together. It's okay to acknowledge that."

Eric sighed as he gripped Tris' hand. "I don't know what I would do without you and your mom."


	8. Chapter 8

The Coulters and Priors scheduled a meeting with Max on Friday afternoon. Andrew was home for the weekend, so he joined his wife and daughter when they took the baby and met Eric at the school. Ava was wide awake and smiley when Eric met them at the main entrance.

"There's my girl!" Eric greeted the baby proudly. Ava gave her father a toothless grin as he removed her from the carrier and carried her through the empty school.

Amar, Tori, and Lauren were in the Dauntless office when they arrived, and Eric invited them all to stay. "The Priors and I have a pretty incredible story to tell you, and some things we need to talk about," he said.

Eric encouraged Tris to start the conversation, and she told the trainers about how she found Ava and how the baby ended up living in their home. Eric picked up the story next and told his coworkers about Melinda's death, the social workers' discovery that Ava was her baby, and how that led to the discovery that Ava was Eric's daughter.

"Eric will be taking custody of his daughter as soon as next week," Natalie informed the trainers. "Tris and I will be involved in the transition and providing childcare through the end of the school year."

"No one anticipated that Eric would become so involved with our family," Andrew concluded. "We want to be upfront with you all and make sure you are informed about what's going on. We don't want there to be any allegations of impropriety, but the simple truth is that Tris has been Ava's primary caretaker, and now she and Eric are raising this baby together with Natalie's supervision."

"Awkward," Lauren said.

"Exactly," Natalie agreed.

"Eric isn't my teacher this semester," Tris pointed out. "I just have him for homeroom every fourth day. I was thinking that if you gave me a work permit, I could leave earlier to take care of Ava. That also means that Eric wouldn't be my teacher at all."

Max and the other trainers asked a few follow-up questions, then sent Tris and Ava out of the room.

"I don't want to insult anyone or imply anything inappropriate," Max said, "but I have to ask. Eric, what is the nature of your relationship with Tris?"

"Max, I can assure you that there has been nothing inappropriate between us," Eric said to his boss. "I'm twenty-one and Tris is eighteen. We were students here at the same time when I was a senior and she was a freshman. We have mutual friends. So when my student teaching ended and I ran into Tris and Andrew at graduation, she and I struck up a friendship. We exchanged a few texts, and the Priors invited me over on Christmas after Tris told them that I don't have any family.

"When you hired me full-time, I told Tris right away, and she was the first to say that to protect my career and her dad's Senate campaign, we couldn't hang out socially or text like we had been - at least not until she graduated. Except for a few texts like 'happy birthday,' and 'congratulations on your scholarship,' we weren't communicating at all. When Melinda turned up dead and I had to identify her body, I turned to the Priors for support. Andrew, Natalie, and Tris were all there for me. Natalie even encouraged me to sit and cuddle with Ava, none of us dreaming that she was my own daughter. I've been visiting Ava and learning how to take care of her this week since we found out that she's mine."

"We have no concerns about Beatrice and Eric's relationship," Andrew added. "I'm in Springfield a lot, but from what Natalie tells me, the two of them have not been out socially or spent any time alone together. Eric has only been to our home when Natalie or I were there with them. In fact, the two of them were the ones who told us that they wouldn't be hanging out any more after Eric got hired full-time."

"I'm glad to hear that," Max said with obvious relief. "This is a unique situation, and I'm willing to work with it, but I can't have a teacher accused of fraternizing with a student. There's no workaround for that."

Tris' parents and trainers discussed the situation for a few minutes. They ended up deciding that Tris' idea of a work pass that got her out of homeroom would successfully separate her from being Eric's student, and would also help him cover some of his childcare needs until summer break.

When the meeting concluded, Eric, Andrew, and Natalie gathered Tris and Ava, and the five of them went to Eric's townhome for dinner and to help him prepare for life as a father.

Eric lived in a typical Midwestern suburban townhome development. The neighborhood consisted of identical triplex structures with two-car attached garages, grey vinyl siding, and white trim and shutters. Six of these three-unit buildings were grouped together, three on each side of quiet Cherry Street, with Cherry Park just blocks away.

The Priors followed Eric to the last building in the development, where he pulled in the driveway of the first unit. He parked his truck in the garage, so the Priors parked on the driveway. Tris disconnected Ava's car seat/carrier while Andrew helped Natalie get the baby's things and the dessert she had prepared.

Eric opened the front door to his home and welcomed his guests. The house was warm, and Tris could smell the chili simmering in Eric's slow cooker. The foyer had bare beige walls, neutral linoleum, and a stairway on the left side that led up to the second level. There was a closet down the hall, and Eric hung up his guests' coats as they walked through to the living room.

Tris snorted when she saw the living room. It had the same basic beige walls as the foyer, and the same basic beige carpet as the stairs. A brown leather sofa faced the room's only wall hanging, a _huge_ flat-screen television.

"This is a beautiful credenza," Natalie commented, running her hand over the polished wood surface of the antique sideboard Tris hadn't even noticed beneath the monstrous television.

"It was my mother's," Eric replied. "She inherited it from her parents. I've had it in storage since my parents passed. It's been nice to get things out and put them into use now that I have my own place."

The entire lower level of Eric's home had the same look as the living room. The fixtures were builder-grade basic, and the furnishings were a strange mix of frat house masculine and family heirlooms.

"It's a work in progress," Eric said dismissively of his home. "I've only lived here for two months. Before that I had an apartment near campus with two other guys. I pretty much just had my clothes, some towels, and a bed when I got here. I started pulling my parents' things out of storage and buying what I needed most. I ate off my mom's good china for three weeks before I got sick of hand-washing the dishes and bought a basic set."

"Well," Natalie commented, "you certainly had some lovely pieces to start with. And the house is very clean."

"Thank you," Eric said as he led them up the stairs.

Tris smiled at the baby gate that Eric had already installed at the top of the stairs. To the right of the stairway was a small reading nook/vestibule type space, empty other than the antique bookshelves that took up every wall not already occupied by doorways.

Eric pointed at the open door nearest them, then moved clockwise around the space as he pointed out each one. "Ava's room, linen closet, home gym, laundry room, and my room," he said.

He showed them the master bedroom first. It was fairly large, with a walk-in closet and an en suite bathroom. A king-sized bed, neatly made with a navy blue comforter and crisp white pillowcases, dominated the room. Tris guessed that the matched set of dressers and nightstands were more family heirlooms. Another large flat-screen was mounted on the wall opposite the bed, and a framed portrait of teenage Eric and his parents hung on a side wall. The picture of Eric making Ava laugh, which Tris had given him, was taped to its frame.

They peeked in at the laundry room and the bedroom Eric had set up as a home gym. Tris noticed that those two rooms had new dark-colored door knobs that didn't match the brass in the rest of the house.

"I put locking knobs on those rooms," Eric explained. "I also have knob cover things that are hard for toddlers to open, but I haven't installed them yet."

"You won't need them for a while," Natalie said, smiling indulgently.

Tris smirked to herself. She found Eric's clueless eagerness endearing. It was obvious that he was concerned about caring for his daughter and keeping her safe.

"You should change out all the knobs up here," Andrew advised the younger man. "You'll want them to match when it's time to sell some day, and you might not be able to find the same ones by then."

Eric nodded thoughtfully as if making a mental note.

"Can we see Ava's room?" Tris asked as she glanced down at the infant she was wearing in a sling.

"There's not much to see yet," Eric said as he pushed the last door. "I was kind of hoping you and Natalie would be willing to help with that. Ava should have a cute little room, but I have no idea where to start."

"Really?!" Tris said excitedly. "Can we paint?"

Natalie laughed. "I'm happy to help, but I think you and Tris can handle it. She has a good eye, and she knows what you'll need as far as furniture and supplies."

Tris stood in the middle of the empty bedroom and turned in a slow circle. The carpet and walls were the same plain beige as the rest of the house. Oak bi-fold closet doors on the same side as the entrance matched the baseboards and trim. The far wall had a window with new-looking soft white blinds. The other exterior wall was blank, and Tris thought it was the right place to put a crib. Directly across from that was another oak door that connected Ava's room to the home gym via a Jack-and-Jill bathroom.

Eric watched Tris nervously. He knew that he was in over his head, and that he would need to rely heavily on his former student and her family as he transitioned into life as a single parent.

"Do you think this will work?" Eric asked. The Priors heard the anxiety in his voice and knew that he was asking about more than the baby's bedroom.

"You're family now," Andrew said, thumping Eric on the back. "You and Ava are stuck with us unless you kick us out of your life. You won't be alone."

Natalie wrapped Eric in a motherly hug, agreeing with her husband's words. "Andrew and I have an event tomorrow," she told Eric. "Tris will have Ava, but maybe the three of you should go to IKEA and look for a crib, dresser, and chair for the nursery."

"Then on Sunday afternoon we can come over to help you paint the walls and assemble the furniture," Andrew added.

Eric glanced nervously at Tris, who was still standing in the middle of the room, quiet. _Maybe this is too much_, he thought. _Here I am co-opting her parents with my drama when they should be focused on Tris. She finally gets her parents to herself, and Ava and I are taking a lot of their time and attention._

"How do you feel about teal?" Tris suddenly asked.

"Huh?" Eric replied.

"Paint comes in colors other than beige," she teased the new father. "I was thinking we could paint the walls a soft teal. It's feminine without being all Barbie - gumball pink. White crib and dresser? Bedding and accents in teal, pink, white, and maybe grey? A changing pad will make the dresser multi-functional, and when she gets older you can just remove it and hang a mirror on the wall."

"Ooh!" Natalie exclaimed as she caught her daughter's vision. "Remember that dresser we saw with the hombre drawer faces?"

"Oh, I loved that!" Tris exclaimed. "Do you think the wall paint and acrylic craft paint would do it?"

"They make paint for furniture and cabinets," Natalie said. "That would be easier to do, and it would last better. You just need a little quart of three shades from the same swatch as the wall color."

.

The rest of the evening at Eric's house was relaxed and comfortable. The chili and cornbread he prepared were delicious, as was the apple crisp that Natalie brought. Eric spent some time holding his daughter, and Tris walked him through Ava's bedtime routine again before they put the baby in her carrier and took her back to the Priors' home.

Once the infant was down for the night, Tris started searching online for nursery ideas. She found an ad for something called "tactical baby gear." The ad featured a tattooed man with a baby carrier and diaper bag that looked like military surplus. Tris took a screenshot of the ad and texted it to Eric.

**T: Looks like a Dauntless line of baby supplies.**

**E: That's awesome. But in Dauntless it would be black.**

**T: True enough**

**E: Besides, Ava is a girl.**

**T: So you'll be wearing a frilly pink carrier and carrying a diaper bag that looks like a big purse?**

**E: Funny.**

Tris found a crib bedding set with an adorable teal, pink, green, and orange paisley and floral print on a white background. The trim was a solid teal fabric and a pink polka dot fabric. The colors were soft, but more vibrant than pastel. Tris took another screenshot and sent it to Eric.

**T: Do you like this?**

**E: Do you?**

**T: So that's a no?**

**E: I like it.**

**T: Don't doubt yourself, Warrior. Your opinion matters. It's your house.**

**E: I like it. Where can I buy it?**

Tris sent Eric the link. A few minutes later, he texted again.

**E: You're spoon feeding me and I'm still lost. There are like a dozen things on there. What do I get?**

Tris looked at the order page and laughed.

**T: You're right, there's a lot of stuff on that page. I was only looking at overall pictures. Give me a minute.**

Tris looked at all the options on the website. The crib quilt and skirt were a definite yes. The hamper looked flimsy. The window valance would be cute above the soft white blinds that were already installed.

**T: Quilt, crib skirt, 2 valance panels, and a throw pillow. You can add the bumper pad if you like it, but it's not necessary.**

**T: We'll get solid-colored sheets cheaper somewhere else, and a plastic hamper from Walmart would be sturdier.**

**E: I don't know what I would do without you.**

**T: You would be fine. Her room would stay beige, but she would be safe and loved, and that's what matters.**

**E: I just want her to have everything.**

**T: Welcome to parenthood.**

.

On Saturday morning Eric arrived at the Priors' home while Natalie and Andrew were lingering over their morning coffee. He chatted with the couple for a few minutes until Tris walked in with Ava.

"Daddy's here!" Tris told the baby, who squealed and waved her hands. She turned her so Eric could see his daughter's outfit. Ava was dressed in a long-sleeved white onesie that said "Daddy's Princess" in burgundy script. It matched her burgundy, pink, and green abstract floral pants. A headband in the same floral print with a burgundy fabric flower adorned the baby's head.

"Good morning, Baby Girl!" Eric said in a husky voice as he reached for his daughter.

"She's happy this morning," Tris commented. "I told her we were going shopping."

"Uh oh," Eric said in a teasing voice. "Are you a shopper already? Gonna make Daddy hang out at the mall and buy you things?"

Ava blew bubbles with her mouth, and Natalie chuckled. "That's her thing lately, the mouth bubbles."

"Let me get a picture while she's clean and happy," Tris said, pulling out her phone.

Once Ava was bundled up and her diaper bag was packed, Tris helped Eric get the car seat secured in the back seat of his truck. As they started on the forty-five minute drive to IKEA, Eric reached across the console to squeeze Tris' hand.

"I love Ava's outfit," he said.

"I actually ordered it while we were waiting for your test results," Tris said. "Once we knew Melinda was her mom, I could see you in Ava's face. I knew."

"Me too," Eric admitted. "I kept telling myself not to get my hopes up, but I knew."

"Wait until you see what I got her for hockey season!" Tris exclaimed, making Eric laugh at her eagerness. "It's a black long-sleeved onesie that says 'You call him coach; I call him Daddy,' and a tutu in all the faction colors."

Eric sighed. "I have a feeling hockey season is going to be tough to juggle."

"You'll figure it out," Tris assured him. "Most dads work."

"Yes," Eric replied, "but most of them aren't orphaned twenty-one year old single parents."

"You know, I'm starting to get a little insulted," Tris said. "I'm right here. I've been here since day one. I'll be here after graduation and when school starts next year. I expect to be at that baby's first birthday party, and her twenty-first! I'm not going to get bored with her and run off like some kid with a toy. In my heart, that baby is _mine_, and I'm going to be here as long as you'll put up with me. You only have to do this alone if you choose to!"

Eric reached for Tris' hand again, but she pulled it away to swipe at the angry tears leaking out of her eyes.

"Duchess," Eric said gently, offering his hand palm up. "Your life is just beginning. I don't want to hold you back or take advantage of you."

Tris dropped her hand in Eric's. "Warrior, did you just call me 'Duchess'?"

"You don't like it?" Eric asked nervously. "I thought it sounded kind of regal and boss babe. Is Queen Bea better? It goes with your name."

Tris laughed. "You've been thinking about this."

"I know I shouldn't say this, but I think about you a lot," Eric confessed quietly.

"I think about you, too," Tris replied, blushing as she wove her fingers with Eric's.

"We can't do this," Eric said sadly, lifting their joined hands to kiss Tris' before pulling away.

Tris nodded in agreement as she folded her hands in her lap. "Less than two months until graduation," she said.

"Seven weeks," Eric replied.

"And you'll be busy getting Ava settled," Tris offered.

"And you have finals and a graduation open house to prepare for," Eric said.

"May twenty-first will be here before we know it," Tris said, referencing her graduation date.

"Duchess, will you have dinner with me on May twenty-second?" Eric asked.

Tris laughed. "Not after graduation on the twenty-first?"

"I figured you would be with your family," Eric said, "and the senior class all-nighter is that night."

"You confuse me, Eric," Tris said. "One minute you're telling me that you don't want to presume I'll be there, and the next minute you're giving me nicknames and planning to take me out the first day it's allowed."

"I told you that I've been thinking about you," he explained. "I was afraid to presume that I had a chance, and worried about holding you back. But then you gave me that passionate speech, and called me 'Warrior,' so I just went for it."

They drove quietly for a while, both lost in their own thoughts as their brains battled with their hearts and hormones.

As he pulled the truck into the IKEA parking lot, Eric spoke quietly. "You haven't answered my questions."

"Questions?" Tris asked.

"Questions," Eric repeated as he pulled into a parking spot and shut off the truck. "Are you okay with 'Duchess' or 'Queen Bea'?"

"They're both better than 'Jailbait,'" Tris replied with a smile. "I like 'Duchess,' but let's just save it for when we're alone, at least for now."

"Deal," Eric said.

They climbed out of the truck, and Tris helped Eric into a solid green baby-wearing sling. She placed Ava securely in the sling against her father's chest. Putting one hand on the baby's back and one on Eric's shoulder, she smiled up at the large man.

"You're a natural, Warrior, and this is good bonding time with your daughter."

"Thank you, Duchess," Eric replied, patting the hand Tris rested on the baby's back.

.

**AN: So apparently I forgot about the Pinterest board for this story. I'll get that updated. The floorplan of Eric's townhouse is on there, and the nursery bedding. This is a good chapter to check that out. Just search for AnnLiberty (one word) on Pinterest.**

**Thank you for reading, and I'm loving all the reviews!**


	9. Chapter 9

After a successful shopping trip, Eric took Tris and Ava home to the Priors' house. He helped Tris carry her things to the door, but didn't come inside. Andrew and Natalie were away at an event, so Eric left as soon as the girls and their things were safely in the house.

Tris spent the evening playing with the baby. She gave Ava a bath at bedtime, and when the little one was peacefully sleeping in her crib, Tris started working on Ava's laundry and her own homework. When she was getting herself ready for bed, Tris' phone lit up with a text.

**E: D, you never did answer my other question. Your W**

**T: W, what question? Your D**

**E: May 22?**

Tris did a quick internet search, found an image of a magic 8-ball toy showing "ask again later," and took a screenshot. She sent the image to Eric.

**E: Do you want me to beg?**

**T: No, I want you to wait. If you're still interested in May, you can ask again.**

**E: I already know I'll be interested.**

**T: Then do it for me. So I know you're asking because you want to and not because you said something in March that you wish you hadn't.**

**E: The only thing regrettable about you is that I can't ask sooner.**

**T: You're smooth, W. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night.**

**E: Sweet dreams, D.**

.

On Sunday Tris attended church with her parents and baby Ava. After a quick lunch at home, they changed into work clothes and packed up supplies before driving to Eric's townhome.

Tris was surprised to see that Eric had already assembled the dresser and crib they bought at IKEA. The upstairs door knobs were all changed, too, and they now matched the bronze knobs he had previously installed.

"You work quick," Andrew complimented Eric.

"I went to the hardware store for the paint yesterday afternoon after dropping off the girls," Eric explained. "I figured while I was there I might as well grab the knobs. They were a quick switch."

"Painting one little room and some drawer faces won't take long," Tris said. "I thought this would be a bigger project. Furniture assembly can be time-consuming."

"I bought paint for this bathroom, too," Eric said. "If you like the color, maybe we could get that done also."

"If _I_ like it?" Tris asked. "It's _your_ house."

"I'm no good at decorating," Eric said. "The color is called 'palest sherbet,' or something like that. I tried to match another color from the crib bedding."

"That sounds beautiful and sunny," Natalie said. "Ava and I will be staying downstairs - away from the paint fumes. I brought dinner, so I'll get that started and in the oven while she naps."

"Is there something else I can help with?" Andrew asked. "I could do the taping in the bathroom so that's ready to paint when you're done in the nursery."

"That would be great," Eric said. "I also have new door knobs for the bathrooms, and new handles for the linen closet and bedroom closets."

"I can do that," Andrew agreed with a smile.

"I also need you to show me how to install cabinet latches," Eric said. "I bought them for the bathroom vanities and kitchen cupboards, but I'm not sure how they work, and I don't want to damage my cabinets."

"I'm very familiar," Andrew assured him. "Between our own kids and the years we fostered, I have lots of experience with cabinet locks."

"They're in a bag with the rest of the doorknobs. It's sitting on the kitchen table," Eric said.

"I need you to set up the playpen for Ava, too," Natalie reminded her husband.

Tris' parents took the baby and went back downstairs. Tris had been examining the paint for the dresser drawer faces, and she suggested that they start with that. They prepared the two bottom drawers, then Tris painted them the darkest shade of teal while Eric prepared the middle drawers.

"I did something a little silly," Eric said sheepishly.

Tris raised an eyebrow and waited for Eric to continue as she began painting the second drawer face.

"There was this display at the hardware store," he said. "They had, um, drawer pull knobs that looked like sparkly gems. They came in lots of colors, and two sizes."

"O-kay," Tris said.

"So I got teal ones for the bottom drawers, watery blue ones for the middle drawers, and clear ones for the top drawers and the closet doors. I know it's silly, but it was only like twenty dollars for all of them, and I had to buy new closet knobs anyway."

"That's going to be so cute," Tris said. "I can't wait for the drawers to dry so I can see it all together!"

"Really?" Eric asked. "You don't think it's dumb?"

"Not at all," Tris assured him. "Girls love bling."

"Thank you, Duchess."

"Get back to work, Warrior."

"Slave driver."

.

Eric and Tris had the dresser drawers and nursery walls painted by the time Natalie had dinner ready. Eric cleaned the paintbrushes and roller cover while Tris changed the closet door knobs. Andrew had the bathroom ready for paint, and cabinet locks on the kitchen cabinets. He had also assembled a gift that the Priors brought for Eric. They were all waiting in the dining side of the eat-in kitchen when Eric came downstairs.

"Look at you!" Eric said to his daughter, who greeted him from a highchair with a smile and mouth bubbles.

Eric pursed his lips and returned the gesture, blowing a raspberry at the reclining baby and making her giggle.

"You guys brought a lot of equipment," Eric said, gesturing at the playpen and highchair set up in his living and dining areas.

"We brought the playpen from home," Natalie said, "but the highchair is a gift. Ava starts solid food soon, so this is our baby gift to you. You'll get lots of use out of it, and it's completely adjustable, so it will grow with her until she's ready to sit at the table."

"You guys are amazing," Eric said as he gave Natalie a grateful hug. "Every time I see you, you spoil us."

"Get used to it," Andrew said. "The other day I swear I heard her teaching Ava to say 'grandma.'"

"I did not!" Natalie said, swatting at her husband.

Everyone enjoyed the dinner Natalie prepared, as well as the company. When they finished eating, Tris and Eric started painting the bathroom while Natalie washed the dishes and Andrew went back to work on the latches and door knobs.

"If I wanted to paint my bedroom and bathroom, would you come help me?" Eric asked Tris.

"Next week, or after graduation?"

"You'll keep me honest, won't you, Duchess?" Eric said, laughing.

"Someone has to," she teased, bumping his hip with her own.

"Six weeks and five days," he said, bumping her hip in return.

.

On Monday morning Tris received a sweet good morning text from Eric. In the afternoon the social worker called him to schedule his home study and interview for Thursday after school. He texted Tris with the news, and she assured him that everything would be fine and Ava would be home with him soon.

.

On Tuesday Eric and Tris exchanged morning greetings again. That afternoon he messaged her to say that the crib bedding and accessories had arrived. She instructed him to wash the bedding with the gentle detergent he bought for Ava's things.

.

On Wednesday the good morning greetings included an invitation for Tris and Natalie to come over for dinner at Eric's, put the nursery together, and make sure everything was ready for the home study.

Naturally, the Prior women agreed. When Eric greeted them at the door, Tris noticed a new blue rug in the foyer. A basket for the remote controls, and several framed photos of Eric's parents, Ava with Eric, and Ava with the Priors had been added to the credenza under the television.

The kitchen and dining area were spotlessly clean, with Ava's highchair on one end of the table and three places set for dinner. Eric showed them the bottles, dishes, spoons, and bibs that he had bought, washed, and put away for his daughter. He pointed out the baby gate that created a barrier between the kitchen and the mudroom that led to the garage.

Upstairs Eric pointed out that he had removed the books from the lowest shelves in the loft area and replaced them with fabric baskets that would eventually hold toys. He reminded them of the locking door knobs on the gym and laundry room, and pointed out the cabinet locks that Andrew had installed.

Eric led the women into Ava's room. The walls were dry and all the switch plates were put back with outlet covers installed. The closet doors had their new crystal knobs, and the large upholstered rocker had been delivered. Everything was gathered in a heap in the center of the room, waiting for Tris and Eric to set it up.

Eric opened the door to the bathroom so Natalie could see the soft orange wall color, and both women could see the white bathroom accessories he had added to the space. The formerly unused bathroom now had pastel teal towels, and basics like toilet paper and a box of tissues.

Tris slid open the pocket door that separated the double vanity from the toilet and tub.

"Eric!" she squealed when she saw the shower curtain. The bare fiberglass tub surround and toilet had been the only things in the room, but now there was a teal, orange, and white chevron-patterned shower curtain with an adorable cartoon fox over the stripes. "This is the cutest thing I've ever seen! Where did you find it?"

Eric grinned proudly. "I saw it when I was buying the towels. I got that too," he said, pointing to a light teal canvas with a large daisy painted on it in shades of orange.

"Eric Coulter, is that wall art?" Tris teased. "I thought you only knew how to hang giant televisions."

"It wouldn't fit," he teased back. "I had to try something new."

"It's adorable," Natalie assured him as Tris threw her arm around Eric's shoulders and squeezed.

Back in the kitchen they enjoyed a simple dinner together. Natalie offered to handle the dishes while Eric and Tris hung the valance, put knobs on the dresser and reassembled it, and moved the furniture and accessories into place.

Eric added the changing pad to the top of the dresser and plugged in the baby monitor. He set a basket of diaper changing supplies on the dresser, and a white photo frame with a picture of Tris holding Ava on the day she found the newborn and saved her life. Meanwhile, Tris put the bedskirt on the crib, then added the mattress cover and sheets on the crib mattress. She smoothed the quilt over the sheet, and put the matching throw pillow on the upholstered rocker under the window.

The two of them stepped back to take in the finished room. Tears sprang to Tris' eyes when she saw the picture of herself and Ava on the dresser.

"This is beautiful," Eric said, his voice soft with emotion.

"The walls are a bit bare," Tris said. "But I'd say we did a damn good job in just a few days. We have everything necessary, and it's adorable."

Eric pulled Tris into his chest, wrapped his muscular arms around her petite frame, and kissed the top of her head. It felt good and right having her in his arms.

"Six weeks and two days," he said.

Tris pulled away from Eric's embrace. "Go get your daughter so she can see her room. We'll do her bedtime routine here tonight, then Mom and I will take her home."

.

On Thursday Tris instigated the morning greeting texts with Eric. She assured him that everything was ready for his home inspection, and reminded him that social services _wanted_ to reunite families.

When she came home for lunch, Tris sent Eric a picture of Ava wearing a bib that said, "I love my daddy."

Tris decided to go for a run after school. She retraced the path she had run on Christmas Eve. Nearly four months had passed since that fateful morning, and nearly every day of it had revolved around Ava.

Tris remembered how tiny Ava had been that day, and how dirty and cold. She thought about the ambulance ride, and the hours she spent in the waiting room at the hospital. She hadn't dared to hope that tiny baby would be part of her life; she had only hoped that someone would tell her the baby was going to survive.

Tris ran around the KMart building, now a construction site as it was being renovated. She stopped when she saw the trashcan along the sidewalk, and realized that she was crying.

For a few minutes Tris just stood and cried. She thought of Melinda, who fought her demons long enough to bring a tiny but healthy baby into the world, then dumped it beside a garbage can. She thought of Eric, grieving for the child he lost without knowing she was right there in his arms. She thought about Ava, and the precious life that almost wasn't.

Suddenly exhausted, Tris began to walk toward home. It was growing dark when she got there, and she went right to the shower without speaking to her mother.

"Have you spoken to Eric?" Natalie asked as they sat down to dinner.

Tris just shook her head. She hadn't looked at her phone since she shut off the music halfway through her run.

"The interview and inspection went well," Natalie told her daughter. "Sally said she'll be here to take Ava home tomorrow afternoon."

Tris nodded. She picked at her food for a few more minutes, then cleared her dishes and lifted Ava out of the baby swing.

Tris spent the rest of the evening snuggling with the baby. She bathed Ava, changed her into pajamas, and gave the baby her bedtime bottle.

Once Ava was tucked in for the night, Tris retreated to her bedroom. She climbed into her bed and tried to read some homework, but she couldn't concentrate. Her phone lit up, and Tris took it off the charger and unlocked the screen. She saw three missed calls from Eric and a number of texts.

**E: Here goes nothing, right?**

**E: The visit went well, I passed with flying colors!**

**E: Call me back when you can.**

**E: I hope everything is okay.**

**E: Please call me, I'm getting worried.**

Tris felt a wave of guilt wash over her and decided to text back as she didn't trust her voice.

**T: Everything is fine. I'm sorry. My phone was on the charger.**

Within seconds Tris' phone lit up and began playing the chorus of Imagine Dragons' _Warriors_, the song she chose for Eric's ringtone after the _Hot for Teacher_ prank. She sent the call to voicemail and composed a text instead.

**T: I'm glad everything went well today. This is the best possible outcome for Ava and you will be an amazing dad - you already are. I'm just feeling overwhelmed and selfish. I can't believe this is Ava's last night with us.**

**E: She'll be back on Monday to spend the day with you and Natalie.**

**T: I know. And getting to stay in her life is more than I could have hoped for. I always knew this day was coming. But it's going to be different without her smile and her evening bath and everything. I don't know what I will do with myself.**

**E: You can be 18 again - get your social life back.**

**T: I don't want a social life. I want my baby.**

It took Tris a few minutes to hit send on her last reply. She knew that she was being selfish. She knew she should be happy for Eric and Ava. They belonged together. This was right. But it still hurt.

The fact that Eric had become the person she talked to about her feelings made this especially hard. Tris had tried to keep it to herself. But while Eric was celebrating his daughter's homecoming, Tris was mourning the change in her own life.

Feeling guilty, Tris texted Eric again.

**T: I'm sorry. I should be celebrating with you and I'm bringing you down.**

**E: And I should be comforting you, but I'm causing your pain.**

**E: Please answer the phone.**

A moment later, Tris' now silent phone lit with an incoming call from Eric, which she accepted.

"Duchess," Eric said softly when he heard her sniffle. "I'm so sorry you're upset. I should have been more sensitive."

"I'm... being... ridiculous," Tris choked out. "I went for a run earlier… I ended up back… back where I found Ava. It just… it hit me suddenly. How much really hap… happened that day. How much she… she changed my life, and… and how much she means… to me!"

Eric began to speak soothingly, hoping his words would get through to the young woman he cared about. "I know you say that you were just in the right place at the right time that morning, but I also know that you don't believe in coincidence. God could have sent anyone to find Ava, but He sent _you_. You saved my daughter's life, Tris. You gave me back what I thought was lost forever. You took to her like she was your own child and you gave yourself wholeheartedly to her. She has felt your love since day one. You gave her the perfect little name, and she gave you her first smile. You generously kept a detailed baby journal so Ava's forever family could share in the first months of her life. You maintained her privacy even when your friends didn't understand, and pestered you about your attachment to 'some foster kid.' You took on the sleepless nights and the dirty diapers, and you did it all with superhuman patience and love. You and Ava have such a deep connection. You've promised to stay in her life, and I'm going to hold you to it. She needs you. _I_ need you. You're a member of our family, Duchess."

Eric paused for a moment, but heard nothing but Tris' slow, steady breathing on the other end. "Duchess?" he asked quietly. "Are you there?"

A sleepy murmur was the only reply from Tris, followed by more deep, even breathing. Eric chuckled. _I got one crying girl to sleep_, he thought. _I hope I'm that successful with Ava_.

"Good night, Sweetheart," Eric said as he hung up the phone.

.

Tris was reluctant to go to class on Monday morning and leave Ava. "You'll see her after school," Natalie assured her daughter. "Sally isn't picking her up until four o'clock."

Tris went to the community college, but she was distracted all morning. When she went home for lunch, Natalie had already packed up most of Ava's things, and they were sitting in the foyer, waiting for the social worker.

Tris picked at her lunch, then cuddled with Ava until it was time to go to the high school.

In civics class, Christina passed Tris a note. "U OK?" it read. Tris shook her head no, and pulled out her phone when the teacher's back was turned.

**T: Baby goes home today.**

**C: Home, home? Like back to the deadbeats who got her taken away?**

**T: It's not like that at all. This is a good thing.**

**C: That's not what your face says.**

**T: I'm going to miss her.**

**C: Want to go shopping tomorrow?**

**T: Sure.**

**T: Maybe next weekend you can sleep over, and I can finally tell you the whole story.**

.

When Tris got home, Ava was fully packed and dressed in her "Daddy's Princess" outfit. She squealed and flailed when she saw Tris, and Tris smiled and entertained the baby while Natalie put things away and gathered baby items that were scattered throughout the house.

The social worker arrived right on time, and Tris and Natalie stood on the front step together as they watched her drive away with Ava.


	10. Chapter 10

**E: I thought you and your mom would bring Ava, or at least come along.**

Eric's text came while Tris was out to dinner with her parents, and it surprised her.

**T: That's not how it works. A child is removed from foster care by a caseworker. I'm sorry, I thought you were told.**

**E: Sally said she was bringing Ava. I guess I just assumed you would come too.**

**T: Call or text me anytime. You and Ava need to bond, but I'm here if you need me.**

.

Tris arrived at the mall on Saturday morning, and was waiting for her latte at the coffee shop when Eric texted again.

**E: Good morning! She slept through the night in her new room. Yay!**

The text was accompanied by a picture of Ava smiling in her highchair.

**T: She looks happy to be home**

.

Tris and Christina were having lunch when the next text came.

**E: Max, Tori, and Lauren are coming over to visit. Ava's popular.**

**T: She is adorable. Try not to disrupt naptime too much, or you'll regret it later.**

"Who are you texting, Trissy?" Christina asked.

"Baby's daddy," Tris replied.

"Is he cute?" she asked, ready to gossip.

"Yeah," Tris said, trying to be cool about it but blushing beet red anyway.

"Oh my gosh!" Christina squealed. "You totally like him! When can I hear the whole story?"

Tris looked around the restaurant. "I'll give you the short version, and tell you all the details next weekend at our sleepover."

"Okay, spill," Christina said eagerly.

"Birth mom abandoned the baby," Tris said, "and the dad didn't even know about it. We had her for a while when the baby's DNA hit a match with a woman who died. Through that investigation they found the dad, and my parents and I have been helping him get ready to take her home."

"I have a feeling that was a _very_ short version," Christina said, and Tris nodded.

She flipped through the photos on her phone for a minute, then showed Christina a picture of Ava in her Christmas sleeper on her first night with the Priors.

"Wow," Christina said in awe, "she's so tiny."

"She _was_ tiny," Tris said, flipping to a more recent picture of Ava with her chubby cheeks and bright smile. "She's four months old now. I named her Ava Hope, and her dad is keeping the name."

Christina oohed and aahed, so Tris showed her a few more pictures of the baby, including one of Caleb holding her before he went back to school.

"She's not Caleb's, is she?" Christina pressed. "I know you said before that it wasn't, but you can tell me more now, so is it?"

Tris laughed heartily. "No!" she exclaimed. "That would have to involve someone sleeping with my brother, and I don't think any girl is that desperate." The girls laughed. They both knew that Caleb was a nice, smart, and decent-looking guy, but Tris couldn't resist making the joke.

"I just thought maybe you blushed because you were embarrassed," Christina explained. "But if it's not Caleb, then you _do_ have a crush on your baby daddy."

"He's not _my_ baby daddy," Tris said.

"Not yet," Christina teased. "So you said he's cute, and he's not your brother. I assume he's single?"

Tris nodded as she took another bite of her lunch.

"Is he older?" Christina pressed.

"Three years," Tris answered.

"He's only twenty-one? That's young to be a dad."

"Shit happens," Tris said defensively. "He's working really hard and doing a good job. He may be young, but he loves his daughter. Besides, you and Will are going to end up in the same boat if you're not careful, lovebirds."

"We are so being careful!" Christina said, and Tris was glad her topic change worked, even if it did mean discussing her friends' love life.

.

Eric texted again in the late afternoon, when Tris was doing laundry and putting away her purchases.

**E: Ava is fussy this afternoon. She keeps looking around and kind of whining.**

**T: Did you stick to the nap schedule?**

**E: I tried, but Max only has one volume setting, and it's LOUD.**

**T: Its ok for her to fuss. She's in a new place, and she's off schedule. Try to be calm and low stress. She takes her cues from you. If you're confident, she'll feel secure.**

**E: It's four hours until her bedtime. How do I keep her awake to get her back on schedule?**

**T: Compromise. You can put her to bed a little early since she missed some of her nap. Until then, maybe take her for a walk, then lay on the floor and play with her. Talk to her, stuff like that.**

**E: How do you know all this?**

**T: Practice**

Tris didn't hear anything from Eric for a few hours, then he sent a picture of Ava peacefully sleeping in her crib.

**E: I don't know what I'd do without you.**

**T: Google, YouTube. Call my mom, Tori, Lauren, Max's wife, or another friend. Hire a live-in nanny. Make very unnecessary trips to the emergency room. The world is full of resources.**

**E: I like you better.**

**T: 5 weeks and 5 days, Coach**

**E: Too long.**

**T: Get some sleep. Focus on your daughter.**

.

When he couldn't calm the baby on Sunday afternoon, Eric called Natalie. He wanted to talk to Tris, but he was stressed out and didn't trust himself to stay professional when he really wanted her comfort. He also didn't want Tris to know that he was, in his own mind, failing as a father.

"Can babies this young feel anger?" Eric asked Natalie. "I feel like she's mad at me. She won't go to sleep, and when I hold her or talk to her, she turns away from me and cries. She keeps looking around like she's searching for something. I tried feeding her even though she had just eaten. She took the bottle like she was starving, then she spit up most of it!"

Natalie chuckled. "I think I know the problem. I'll be there in ten minutes. Don't feed her any more."

Eric paced around his living room and kitchen while he waited for Natalie. Ava threatened to deafen him as she laid on his chest and wailed in his ear. When the doorbell rang, he practically sprinted to the foyer.

Natalie held a finger to her lips and draped a pillowcase over Eric's shoulder when he opened the door. Without speaking, she indicated that he should move Ava to lay on it. The second Ava made contact with the pillowcase, she sighed and stopped crying.

"That's what I thought," Natalie said to the frazzled father.

"I… I don't get it," Eric stammered.

Natalie ushered him back to his living room and indicated that he should sit.

"Ava will adjust," Natalie tried to assure Eric. "But this is a common reaction in infants when they are separated from their mothers."

"Her mother?" Eric asked. "But Ava never knew Melinda. And what does that have to do with the pillowcase? That knocked her out like there was chloroform on it!"

Natalie smiled and reached across the sofa to squeeze Eric's hand. "Beatrice has been Ava's person since she tucked that tiny newborn into her vest to keep her warm. Ava's bassinet was next to Tris' bed. She handled all the late-night feedings, and more than her share of the diaper changes and baths. The two of them are deeply bonded, and they're both struggling with being separated."

"What do I do?" Eric asked, the five and a half weeks before Tris' graduation suddenly feeling like an eternity.

"Now that Ava is asleep, you should lay her down in her crib like normal," Natalie instructed. "She wore herself out crying, I'm sure. Don't put the pillowcase in the crib with her, but keep it handy. Pull it out if you get desperate again."

Eric nodded, and Natalie gave his hand another squeeze. "You're doing a good job," she assured him. "Ava will adjust as she bonds with you and gets used to her new home. I think it might be best if I came here to watch her this week. Beatrice will probably throw a fit, but Ava will settle better if she's not being pulled back and forth between you and your home and Beatrice and ours."

"Tris isn't going to like that," Eric warned.

"I know," Natalie said. "But unlike Ava, she's old enough to understand."

.

That night after Ava was in bed, Eric got a text from Tris that was nothing but a broken heart emoji. He sighed as he typed his reply.

**E: I'm sorry. You're just too irresistible. You have to be kept away if I want a chance at my daughter liking me.**

**T: Mom practically had to sit on me to keep me from going over there when she told me how upset Ava was.**

**E: I love how you love her.**

**T: I told you - that's MY baby. I just didn't know she felt the same way.**

**E: Maybe Ava and I will bond over our shared desire to spend time with you. I'll discuss it with her in the morning. 5 weeks and 4 days.**

**T: I'd like to be a fly on the wall for that discussion. Right now, though, I have homework to catch up on. Have a good night, Warrior.**

**E: Sweet dreams, Duchess**

.

The next week passed quickly for Eric as he learned to juggle his responsibilities as a working single parent. Ava began to settle in to her new routine, and Natalie began increasing her work with Andrew's campaign and preparing for Tris' graduation party during Ava's naps.

The same week passed slowly for Tris. She went to the community college in the mornings, then came home to an empty house for lunch. She went to high school in the afternoons. She worked out to stay busy, did her homework, read books, and socialized with her friends.

On Friday evening Natalie joined Andrew in Springfield for a weekend of events and campaign work. Tris was home alone, watching a movie with a bag of popcorn when she got a text from Eric.

**E: Natalie told me she was headed to Springfield for the weekend. Did you go too?**

**T: No, I'm living the high life watching a movie in my PJs.**

**E: Magic Mike or Fifty Shades of Grey?**

**T: Pfft. I can do better than that. It's some hardcore European porn that I found under my brother's bed when he left for college.**

**E: (shocked face emoji)**

**T: I'm kidding. I'm watching Pitch Perfect. Again. And I'm not masochistic enough to look under my brother's bed. There's probably dirty underwear under there.**

**E: I teach teenage boys. You would be lucky if underwear was the worst thing you found under their bed.**

**T: Not my brother. As far as I'm concerned, Caleb and I appeared miraculously via immaculate conception, my parents have never heard of the concept of sex, and my brother is a saintly, virginal dork without human hormones.**

**E: Lol**

**T: Don't burst my happy bubble. You're going to need it someday when Ava makes you a grandfather.**

**E: That's a sobering thought. Thanks, Grandma.**

**T: Why am I grandma?**

**E: She's YOUR baby, you say that all the time.**

**T: When Ava grows up she and I will be besties and go shopping together while you watch the grandchildren that she and her adoring husband produce via immaculate conception.**

**E: Nice to know you'll still be around, Granny.**

**T: Now I'm Granny? I'm aging rapidly! You do realize that I'll be 39 when she's your age. She could make me a VERY young grandma.**

**E: We should probably go on a date before we make too many plans about our grandchildren. Graduation is 5 weeks from tonight. Can I get an answer now?**

**T: Nope. Ask again in a month. You're not very good at not fraternizing with your students.**

**E: Only you, Duchess. You're the only student - the only woman - I want to fraternize with.**

**T: 5 weeks, Warrior. Do the right thing.**

**E: Yes, ma'am. You're worth waiting for.**

Tris grinned and hugged her phone to her chest.

.

The next afternoon, Tris received another text from Eric.

**E: 4 weeks and 6 days. Only one day has passed, yet it feels so much closer. Will you answer me now?**

**T: My calendar still says April, Coach.**

**E: If I flip mine to May, will that help?**

**T: Stop. This is frustrating for me, too. I'm trying to protect YOUR career and reputation. Quit making it harder for me.**

**E: I'm sorry. You're right. I just miss you. I won't push.**

**E: Tori is coming over later to paint something above Ava's crib.**

**T: Great idea! You'll send me a picture, right?**

**T: Make sure she opens the window when she's working on it.**

**T: And if it still smells like paint, Ava will have to sleep in the playpen in your room or something.**

**T: I'm having friends over tonight, so I won't be able to talk, but don't forget to send me a picture.**

**E: Stop worrying. I'll do everything you said. You're not having a party, are you?**

**T: Sleepover. Four girls. No boys or booze. My parents know about it. I promised Christina I'd tell her about Ava. Do you want me to leave you out of it? She knows I'm friends with the dad. She refers to you as "Tris' baby daddy"**

**E: That won't start any rumors… (eyeroll emoji) Maybe you should leave my name out of the story for now. 4 weeks and 6 days, and all that.**

.

Tris honored Eric's wishes. She told Christina, Marlene, and Lynn about discovering baby Ava on Christmas Eve. She told them about naming her, and even showed them the tattoo on her ribs. She explained why she had dropped out socially as she and the foundling bonded to one another.

She told them in more general terms about Ava's mother, her death by overdose, and the father who believed his baby had been aborted against his wishes. Tris explained that once the paternity test revealed that she was his daughter, the Priors had worked with the young man to prepare his home for the baby.

Tris showed off a few pictures of the nursery she helped decorate, and a few shots of the baby with Tris and her family, too. She was careful not to include too much information about Eric or show any pictures of him.

"And now Tris is hardcore crushing on her baby daddy," Christina told the others.

"Chris," Tris whined. "I am literally not allowed to talk about him, and I definitely can't go out with him."

"Is he married or something?" Lynn asked.

Tris shook her head.

"Is he a lot older?" Marlene asked.

"Twenty-one," Christina said. "I asked the same question."

"You're eighteen. He's twenty-one and not married. You like him. I don't see the problem," Marlene argued. "Is this about the custody stuff?"

"Kind of," Tris hedged. "I'm really not allowed to talk about it yet, but I promise I'll explain when I can. Can we drop it?"

"For now," Christina said.

.

Natalie and Eric decided that Ava was making progress in her new home, and they were reluctant to rock the boat by taking the baby back to Tris and the home where she had been living. Tris accepted the information graciously, but cried herself to sleep once she was alone for the night.

All the stress of Ava's departure and the weekend's sleep loss weakened Tris' immune system, and she ended up catching a bad cold. She missed three days of school, and Eric had to take vacation on Friday because Natalie had other obligations and Tris was too sick to be around the baby.

Eric and Tris continued to text daily. He sent her a picture of the painting Tori had added to the nursery. Ava's first name was written large with white paint in a cool font. Over that, Tori had written "Where there is life, there is hope" in dark teal. She had exactly matched the phrasing and font of Tris' tattoo on the nursery wall, and Tris was moved by the personal connection. Around the large white letters, Tori had painted little bits of paisley and flowers that exactly matched the crib bedding and accessories.

Eric also sent pictures of Ava, and checked up on how Tris was feeling. On the twenty-first he sent a text that said, "One month." On Friday he sent one that said "Four weeks."

Tris replied to each text. She complimented Eric on how healthy and happy Ava looked. She updated him about her cold, and assured him that it wasn't a big deal. She made small talk about school projects and the preparations for her graduation party.

On Friday the 30th, three weeks before her graduation, Tris was finally allowed to see Ava again. The baby had been at home with Eric for three weeks, and Tris was terrified that Ava wouldn't remember her. She left school after her last class and drove straight to Eric's house to relieve Natalie.

When she arrived at the townhouse, Tris parked on the street and practically ran to the door. Her hands were shaking as she knocked, afraid to ring the doorbell and wake Ava if she was still napping.

Natalie opened the door and smiled at her daughter. "Oh Sweetheart," she said when she saw the anxiety on Tris' face. "She'll remember you, I promise."

Tris nodded mutely and let her mother comfort her with a hug.

"Come on," Natalie said excitedly. "I need to leave in a minute, but I have to see this reunion."

The women walked down the hall to the living room, and Tris' eyes instantly landed on the baby reclining in her highchair. A sob bubbled up and burst from Tris as she hurried across the room.

Ava had a similar reaction. When she saw Tris, she let out a squeal and began waving her arms and legs wildly. The squeal quickly turned into full-on crying, and Tris struggled to unhook the safety straps as tears blurred her vision and the baby squirmed.

Once the baby was free, Tris held her close to her chest and dropped into a chair. She rocked them back and forth for a moment, then pulled Ava back so she could take a good look at her.

"You've grown," Tris told the baby, who flailed her arms and reached for Tris' hair and face. "I missed you too," she said, hugging the little one close again.

Tris looked up at her own mother, and saw Natalie wiping away tears as she recorded the reunion on her cell phone. "I've never seen anything like that from one so young," she said, tapping at her phone screen.

"We had a rough start," Tris said, referring to Ava's abandonment. "I think it gave us an uncommon bond."

"I think you're right," Natalie said, wrapping her arms around her daughter and the baby. "And I think that little girl _will_ be calling me Grandma."

Tris laughed as she clung to Ava. Natalie gave her daughter a brief rundown on the baby's schedule and the dinner she had prepared and put in the oven.

"I expect you to be at home, by yourself, as soon as Ava is in bed," Natalie warned. "I know you miss Eric, too, but you have to keep it up for three more weeks."

"I know, Mama," Tris said, taken aback by how aware her mom was of their situation.

.

Ava was strapped in the highchair and happily smacking her lips around spoonfuls of rice cereal when the garage door opened. Tris wiped her hands on the dish towel just as the front door opened and Eric walked in.

She looked so natural, sitting there feeding his happy baby with the smell of dinner in the air.

He looked so good in his black Dauntless uniform, smiling from across the room.

Tris ran to Eric, and he caught her as she threw herself into his arms. Her feet dangled off the floor as she squeezed her arms around his neck and he held her torso to his chest.

"I've missed you," he said, pressing a kiss to the side of her head.

"I've missed you too," Tris choked out, and Eric realized she was crying on his shoulder.

"Your mom sent me that video," Eric said. "It made me cry. I literally sat at my desk and cried. Tomorrow is May first. We've waited long enough. Please tell me you'll go out with me on the twenty-second. Please tell me you'll be my girlfriend, Duchess. Ava and I miss you so much. We talk about you all the time. Your mom is pushing for Ava to say 'dada,' but I think her first word might be 'duchess,' because you're all I talk about."

Tris laughed through her tears. "That's a big word for a baby that can barely sit up on her own."

"Please say you'll be ours," Eric pleaded, sticking out his bottom lip like Ava did when she was about to cry.

Tris threw her arms around Eric and buried her face in his shoulder. "Yes," she said, and planted a kiss on the side of his neck.


	11. Chapter 11

It required a supernatural effort, but after eating dinner and joining Eric in Ava's bedtime routine, Tris tore herself away and went home.

She called her mother when she got there, not that her parents expected it, but just because she wanted to be open with them. Tris wanted her actions to show that she was serious and mature about this relationship. Eric wasn't some creepy teacher taking advantage of a student, and Tris wasn't a kid besotted with an older man. They were two young adults who genuinely cared for one another and wanted the best for each other. They planned to build a serious relationship, and they didn't want it tainted before it even started.

On Saturday Tris ran some errands, and applied for a few jobs. Once school was out, Eric would no longer need Natalie and Tris to watch Ava. She wouldn't be in school or sports, either. Tris' employment history was pretty much just volunteer work and babysitting, but she found a few places to apply.

Sunday was Mother's Day, so Tris cleaned the house and made lunch in preparation for Natalie's return. A box had arrived from Caleb, so Tris put it on the dining room table with her own gift. Just before noon, the doorbell rang, and Tris opened it to find a delivery man with two large bouquets. Tris signed for the delivery and carried the bouquets into the dining room.

The first one she unwrapped contained red and white roses. Natalie's name was on the card, and Tris knew the flowers were from her dad. He liked to send his wife roses, sometimes for no reason at all.

The second bouquet was a cacophony of spring wildflowers. Tris assumed they were from Caleb until she saw the card. "To Natalie and Tris," it read. "Thank you for taking us in as your own. Happy Mother's Day. Love, Eric and Ava."

Tris texted Eric immediately.

**T: The flowers are beautiful, thank you.**

**E: It was Ava's idea. I'll tell her you liked them.**

**T: Uh huh**

**E: We saw a commercial one day and she suggested that we should honor the mothers in our life, like the narrator said.**

**T: Infants are highly suggestible (eyeroll emoji)**

**E: So are men trying to make a good impression.**

**T: You don't even have to try. Wave that cute baby around and women will fall at your feet.**

**E: I only want one woman, and I want her by my side, not at my feet.**

**T: Lucky woman.**

**E: She doesn't need luck, she's a Duchess.**

**T: Sounds like what she needs is a handsome warrior and a sweet little princess.**

**E: Two weeks and five days, and we're all yours, Duchess.**

.

The next week brought finals for Tris' college classes, then Caleb came home for the summer.

The Prior family was busy preparing for Tris' graduation. Carpets were deep cleaned, and mother and daughter put together photo boards and bought food and supplies for the party.

Andrew came home after an important vote on Tuesday the eighteenth, and his wife put him to work on party preparations, mostly cleaning out the garage, while Tris, Natalie, and Ava went shopping for new graduation dresses.

They found more than they bargained for. Tris got a black sundress for graduation, a capri-length jumpsuit for her open house, and cute black sandals that would match both. She also found a black dress with little red flowers for Ava, matching patent leather baby shoes, and a headband with a big red flower. Natalie also found a new dress, and they left the mall satisfied.

When they returned home, Eric was there helping Andrew clean out the garage.

"We just did this last year for Caleb's party," Andrew remarked. "How is there so much clutter already?"

"Life happens," Natalie told her husband. "I'm ordering pizzas. Eric, you're staying for dinner?"

"I don't want to be a bother," he said, taking his wiggly daughter from Tris.

"Nonsense," Natalie said. "If you don't have somewhere else to be, you're staying."

"You can't argue with that," Andrew said as his wife left to go inside.

Eric smiled and ran his hand down the length of Tris' braid. "How was shopping?" he asked.

"Great!" she replied. "I got a black dress for graduation, a jumpsuit for my open house, and a dress for Ava to wear to graduation."

"I've been meaning to talk to you about that," Eric said. "You're graduating, I'm part of the ceremony, and your parents are there to see you. I don't know what to do with Ava. I have a few friends I could ask, but Zeke's brother is graduating too, and I don't know if I trust any of the others with my daughter."

"You trust Zeke?" Tris asked.

"Well," Eric hedged, "I trust Shauna. But she's in a wheelchair. Zeke is a fireman EMT, and Shauna keeps him grounded. I trust them together. But like I said, they'll be at graduation for Uriah."

"Caleb is in charge of Ava during graduation," Tris said. "He'll be with Mom and Dad, but he's sitting on the end so he can take her out of the auditorium if she gets fussy."

"Are you sure that's okay?" Eric asked. "I don't want your brother to miss your graduation."

"You know how boring these things are," Tris said. "He'll probably pinch her so he can leave."

Andrew laughed. "What time do you need to be there?" He asked Eric.

"Six o'clock," Eric replied.

"Come over at five-thirty so we can take some pictures. Ava will probably be crabby by the time it's over since it will be past her bedtime," Andrew instructed.

"I'd like to talk to you about Saturday, too," Eric said. "Not about babysitting, I have that covered. It's about Tris.

"Should I leave?" Tris asked, reminding the men that she was still in the garage with them.

"I have nothing to hide from you," Eric said.

"Neither do I," Andrew said, "but I think it's better if you let us have a little guy talk, dad-to-dad."

Tris lifted her brows and took Ava out of Eric's arms. "That's our cue to leave, Sunshine," she said to the baby. "Don't shoot each other!"

Tris was nervous while she waited for Eric and her dad to come inside. She fed Ava her rice cereal and a bottle, changed the baby's diaper, and checked the time on her phone at least a dozen times.

Caleb returned home from his summer job at the golf course, bringing pizzas with him. They sent him to tell the other men that dinner was ready, and everyone gathered in the dining room once they were cleaned up.

"So, did you settle on a price?" Tris asked testily. "How many goats am I worth?"

Eric threw his head back and laughed as he put an arm around Tris' shoulder. "You, Duchess, are worth at least a camel. But we weren't negotiating. We talked for a couple minutes, then I was helping your dad with his car."

"So I was in here worrying about what kind of 'dad-to-dad guy time' conversation was taking so long, and you were talking about oil changes?" Tris asked.

"Spark plugs, actually," Andrew chimed in.

"And you're not worth a camel," Caleb added around a mouthful of pizza. "Two goats, tops."

"Oh please," Tris said, swatting at her brother. "You couldn't get a date with a goat."

"Probably not," Caleb said. "I've never heard of goats being attracted to humans. Not even handsome, intelligent future doctors like me."

Eric laughed at the sibling banter, making Ava giggle. Soon everyone was laughing.

"So Eric, is the duchess here your girlfriend now, or what?" Caleb asked.

Tris turned and glared at Eric. "Sorry," he said quietly. "I didn't realize I said that in front of everyone."

Tris rolled her eyes.

"Not yet," Eric said. "But she has agreed to give me a shot as soon as she graduates. I asked her out for Saturday night, and she has agreed to a date and to start a relationship."

"It's about time," Caleb said. "The way you two were flirting at Christmas, I'm surprised it took this long."

"Right after Christmas Eric got hired full-time at Factions," Andrew said. "As long as she was enrolled there they had to keep it low-key and professional."

Dinner continued with more teasing and light-hearted banter. Eric didn't grow up with siblings, but he enjoyed watching Tris and Caleb interact.

When everyone was done eating, Tris stood up and said, "Who wants a turn holding the baby? I'm on dish duty tonight."

"Papa wants her," Andrew declared, holding up his hands.

"Papa?" Caleb asked. "I mean, eighteen is young, but I guess if he's offering a whole camel for _Beatrice_, you should take that deal while you can and get used to the idea of being a grandpa."

Tris gently slapped her brother on the back of his head after passing Ava to her dad.

"You need to hit him harder than that if you want him to learn," Natalie said.

"Nah," Tris replied. "I don't want to knock something loose and have 'Doctor Big Shot' here freeze up in the middle of an innocent patient's surgery some day."

Eric gathered the empty pizza boxes and carried them outside to the trash, then went to the kitchen to help Tris. When the kitchen was cleaned up, he took Ava home to put her to bed.

.

On Wednesday the nineteenth, Eric dropped Ava off at the Priors' home, or 'party central' as Andrew was calling it. Tris had a job interview that morning, and was hired at a cute little cafe and coffee shop in a neighborhood of quaint shops and boutiques. The area was between Eric's home and the Priors', close enough to walk in good weather.

In the afternoon, Tris went to Factions High to take her civics final, then ran some errands for her parents.

Eric picked up Ava but didn't stay for dinner that night. Before he left, he pulled Tris into his arms for a hug.

"Two days," he said.

.

On Thursday the twentieth, Tris was scheduled to take her Dauntless final. The faction finals were part of the determination of class rank, and the top student from each faction was honored by leadership at graduation.

Dauntless rank was determined by grades, participation in school sports and activities, exemplary activities and awards outside of school, and the final exam. The final tested physical fitness, weapons care, marksmanship, and bravery. Rumor had it that the test was different from year to year, so there was no way to really prepare other than to stay in good physical condition, and to eat and sleep well before the test.

Seniors were grouped by last name, and assigned a time to arrive. Showing up late was a huge point deduction. Students were forbidden from talking about the test, and people said there were even differences between the time slots in the same graduating class. The whole process was very secretive, and Tris knew that was part of the adrenaline-pumping experience.

Eric had said nothing to Tris about the test. All she knew was that his role in her cohort had been limited to protect the integrity of the test.

Scheduled for two o'clock, Tris arrived fifteen minutes early and made her way to the designated training room to stretch. Will was already there. Uriah and Lynn walked in a minute later. Rita Smith joined them a few minutes before two o'clock, completing the group.

Coach Lauren walked in promptly at two o'clock. The five seniors jumped to attention, ready for whatever came next.

"Pedrad, Prior, Rodriguez, Smith, and Turner," she greeted them in a firm drill instructor cadence. "Welcome to the Dauntless final exam. Follow me."

Lauren turned on her heel and took off at a jog. The students followed as she led them up and down staircases, then out the back door of the school. They jogged for roughly two miles, twisting and turning, sometimes even backtracking through the neighborhood near the school, then entered a fenced area containing a concrete structure that was nothing but stairs. Lauren led them to the top, about five stories above the ground, where Max met them.

"Welcome," he said, checking the time. "The next part of the test is seven stories below us. Who's first?" He pointed off the side of the tower where they saw nothing but air and a dark hole in the ground.

The students looked at one another, and Tris shrugged. "Me," she said.

"Very good!" Max said with a smile that made Tris feel he had been hoping she would volunteer.

Tris stepped toward the ledge, trying not to look down.

"Not so fast," Lauren interrupted as she pulled a vest-like harness out of a cabinet.

Tris gave a nervous laugh and gratefully stepped into the harness. Lauren pulled the straps and clipped her to a pole protruding from the tower.

"Go ahead," Max said, and Tris jumped.

For one glorious moment Tris felt nothing at all, then the strap spooling out from the back of her vest began to slow her descent, and she landed comfortably in a net with just the slightest bounce.

One side of the net dipped down, and Tris crawled quickly in that direction. Eric smiled at Tris as he quickly undid the straps so she could get out of the harness.

"First jumper, Duchess Beatrice Prior!" he yelled as he tugged on the rope.

The harness and rope quickly began lifting back through the hole.

"I'm glad you jumped first," Eric said. "First jumper gets a water bottle and a rest."

Tris grabbed the water eagerly. She nearly choked on her first gulp as Uriah fell through the hole flailing and screaming.

"Second jumper," Eric called, "the court jester, Uriah Pedrad."

Uri raised his hands in celebration like Rocky as the harness and rope went back up.

"Second jumper gets a smaller water bottle and a shorter break, but it's still something," Eric said.

Once Lynn, Will, and then Rita made the jump, Eric took off running down a dark underground tunnel. The students followed, and a few twists and turns later they came across Tori. She gave them each ear protection and night-vision goggles, donning a pair for herself at the same time. She opened a heavy iron door, and the students followed her into a pitch black room.

Tris flipped the switch on her night vision goggles and saw the others doing the same.

"Raise your right hand if you can hear me," Tori said, her voice coming through the speakers inside the headphones. The students all did as instructed.

"Raise your left hand if you can see me," Tori said. Everyone raised their hand except Rita, so Tori reminded her how to turn on her goggles.

Once they were geared up properly, Tori led them to a table with five stations, each containing a gun. She ordered the students to disassemble and reassemble their weapons.

It was a tricky task. The room was cold, so everyone's hands were stiff and shaky. The night vision goggles helped, but it was still harder to see than normal conditions like the classroom where they had learned.

Lynn finished first, and Tris and Uriah tied for second. Will was right behind them, and Rita was a few seconds behind him.

"Night vision goggles off," Tori ordered, and Tris clamped her eyes shut before fumbling for the switch. She had learned the hard way how painful it was to be wearing them when the lights came on.

Removing the goggles, Tris blinked in the sudden brightness as Tori handed them each a pair of plain eye protection and a clip of ammunition.

"To the firing line," she ordered, and the students each took their gun to a station.

"You have twelve bullets," Tori said, "and two minutes to shoot them. Score as many points as you can. Time begins now."

Two minutes was more than enough time to take twelve shots, so Tris gave her eyes a few more seconds to adjust. She aimed her weapon at the target, lined up her sights, and let her finger slip down to the trigger.  
_Inhale, aim, exhale, shoot._  
_Evaluate, adjust, repeat._

Tris went through the process until her gun was empty, then flipped the safety and set the weapon down with the barrel pointing down range.

When everyone was done, Tori removed her eye and ear protection and turned to run. The students did the same, and followed her through more twisting underground tunnels. After taking a sharp right, they came to a hallway with heavy black doors down each side.

"Pedrad!" Tori barked, pointing at the first door as she continued jogging. "Prior!" she yelled as she pointed to the second. Tris grabbed the indicated door and stepped inside.

"Harrison?" Tris said, surprised to find the retired Dauntless leader in her room. She stepped forward and held out her hand to greet him. "How are you?" she asked.

"Very good," the former instructor said. "I'll be handling your individual assessment, Miss Prior."

Tris followed Harrison to a table on the far side of the room. There a technician was seated next to a lie detector machine.

"A little something we borrowed from Candor," Harrison said. Tris followed the technician's instructions as he hooked her up to various electrodes and cuffs.

Harrison asked Tris some basic questions, including her full name, which middle school she attended, and which faction she chose. He asked her to answer a question dishonestly, and when she did, the needles on the machine went wild.

"Very good," Harrison said. "It looks like the machine is all set. The real questions begin now, so please answer honestly."

He started with easy questions:  
What was Tris' favorite activity in Dauntless? (Knife throwing)  
What was her least favorite class in high school? (Geometry)  
What would she add or change about Dauntless to improve it? (More academic study about nutrition and body mechanics)

Then the questions got more personal:  
Was she in a dating relationship with Eric Coulter? (Not currently, though she had agreed to attempt one after graduation)  
Had Eric ever offered Tris any special treatment? (No)  
Had Eric ever threatened her? (No!)  
Did Eric reveal anything to Tris about the final exam? (No)  
Had Eric and Tris engaged in a sexual relationship? (No)  
Had Eric and Tris kissed? (Not on the mouth)

Tris was asked to elaborate, and she explained that she had kissed Eric on the cheek once or twice, and he had kissed her on the head, the same way her father or brother would.

Had she ever spent the night with Eric or slept in the same bed? (No)  
Had she and Eric ever hugged? (Yes)  
In Tris' opinion, had Eric Coulter's relationship with her, a student at the school where he taught, crossed a line and become inappropriate? (No)  
Were her parents aware of her budding relationship with Eric? (Yes)  
Had her parents expressed any concern about her relationship with Eric? (No, though they agreed with the need to keep things professional until after graduation)

After additional questions about her feelings for Eric, the rescue of baby Ava, and her months spent caring for the infant, Harrison finally ended the interrogation with one last question.

"Miss Prior, how are you feeling?"

"Tired," Tris said. "I am physically and emotionally exhausted. I am also somewhat embarrassed and angry about having to discuss such personal things in such a clinical way with strange men. I'm worried that Eric and I worked so hard and denied ourselves and each other the comfort we needed during a stressful time just to have you could say it wasn't enough and we're in trouble anyway. I'm just… tired."

Harrison instructed the technician to remove the machinery. Once free, Tris stood to her feet, and Harrison put his arm around her as he walked her to the door.

"I'm sorry we put you through that," he said. "That was above and beyond the usual individual assessment. But as you know, Eric's career was hanging in the balance, as was your ranking. Max was terrified that his first year as leader would be marred by scandal.

"Your answers were big, Tris. But the fact that you never tried to lie was even bigger. You are an asset to Dauntless, and we're proud of you."

Harrison opened the door to reveal Max standing in the hallway with a guilty look on his face. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Tris nodded and shook hands with Harrison before following Max to a service elevator. They rode the lift up several floors, and when the doors opened, they were back in the school. Max walked Tris to the main lobby, and she saw a clock which showed that it was after six in the evening. Tris' test had taken more than four hours.

"Your relationship with Eric scared me," Max confessed. "That one of our best students and the bright new trainer could blow everything up and I might fail in my first year - it was almost too much for me. I'm sorry about the interrogation. If it helps, you've cleared both of your names. You've confirmed the rank you earned, and we'll be renewing Eric's contract if he wants that."

"Did he know about this?" Tris asked. Max shook his head. "Then don't offer him the job until he's had a chance to cool off, because he might be kind of pissed."

Max chuckled and nodded, then suddenly pulled his phone out of his pocket. "Speak of the devil," he said, swiping the screen. "You need to get home, Tris, your family is looking for you."

Tris nodded and shook hands with Max before stepping outside. Two vehicles were in the parking lot, her car and Eric's truck. Eric was leaning on her car, his face puckered with worry as he typed and swiped at his phone.

Tris jogged toward him, and he looked up at the sound. Myriad emotions played out in Eric's grey eyes. Tris saw fear, anger, relief, and longing. The intensity of his feelings and her day overwhelmed her, and tears sprang to her eyes.

"Where were you?" he asked in a voice thick with emotion. "We were frantic. Andrew and Caleb are out looking for you, and Natalie called all your friends. No one has seen you since you went in for your assessment."

Tris wrapped her arms around Eric's middle and pressed her face into his shoulder, inhaling his familiar, masculine scent.

"We did it, Warrior. Let's go home and I'll tell you all about it."


	12. Chapter 12

Eric used his hands-free to call Natalie as he followed Tris home. Natalie, in turn, called Christina and asked her to spread the word that Tris was fine, and it was just a misunderstanding. She also called Andrew and Caleb to come home.

Natalie and Ava met Tris at the door, and Tris accepted a long hug from her mom before taking the baby into her arms.

Eric stayed close to Tris. He brought her food that Natalie prepared. He brought her something to drink. He asked her several times if she was okay, and she assured him that she was, and that she would tell them all about it when Andrew and Caleb arrived.

Tris felt stronger as she ate and played with Ava. Andrew kissed her on the head when he returned, and sat down at the table with her, Eric, and the baby. Caleb came in a few minutes later, and Natalie served everyone dessert and decaffeinated coffee.

"First of all, I'm sorry you all were worried about me," Tris said. "Max and Harrison send their apologies, too. As I'm sure Eric told you, the first part of my test went pretty well. We were tested on our physical fitness, bravery, and weapons skills. After the last run, we were sent to separate rooms for our individual assessments.

"I don't know what usually happens in those, but I know my test wasn't normal. Max has been really concerned about my relationship with Eric. He called Harrison to come in, and they settled on a polygraph for my final test."

"A lie detector?" Caleb asked.

"They interrogated you?" Eric asked at the same time.

"It was exhausting, but it wasn't malicious," Tris said. "The process took longer than anyone expected, and Max and Harrison apologized for that."

"What did they ask about?" Andrew asked his daughter.

Tris looked at Eric. "Hold your daughter and stay calm," she told him, handing him the baby.

"They asked a little about Ava, and my opinions about the Dauntless program. They also asked a lot of questions about the nature of my relationship with Eric."

"Like what?" Eric asked, worry and sorrow in his voice. He hated that Tris was the one who had to face the heat for their relationship.

"Mostly just different lines that could have been crossed between a teacher and a student. Have we had sex? Have we kissed? Did you tell me anything about the final exam? Have you ever promised me anything or threatened me with anything?"

"What?!" Eric exclaimed, startling Ava and making her cry.

Tris laid her head on Eric's shoulder and rubbed his back while he comforted his daughter.

"It's okay, Warrior," she said quietly. "We have nothing to hide. I told the truth and they were pleased with my answers. They apologized for even having to ask. One more day, Warrior. One more day and we'll be free."

Eric shifted so his arm was around Tris, and he pulled her close to his chest. "Where did your dad go?" He asked Caleb.

"Phone call," Caleb said.

"Do you want to watch a movie or something?" Tris asked.

"I'd love that," Eric said, "but I need to take Ava home. Its past her bedtime and tomorrow is a big day."

Eric packed up Ava's things and said his goodbyes. Natalie gave him a long hug at the door.

.

Friday morning dawned clear and beautiful. Tris slept in, then spent the morning with Ava and her family, preparing for the graduation party. Her phone was abuzz with texts from friends wanting the 'inside scoop' on why she went missing the day before. She didn't say much, just that her individual assessment had been time-consuming and her family had become worried.

Eric was done at school by noon, so he picked up his daughter and took her home for a quiet afternoon nap. Tris desperately wished that she could go with them. A nap snuggled up with Ava - or Ava's handsome daddy - sounded perfect. Instead, she tried to rest at home with a Senate campaign and party preparations making the house sound like a three-ring circus was taking place downstairs.

After a long soak in the tub, Tris put on her new black sundress. She did her hair in a half-up style that she hoped would work with the graduation cap. She even put on a little makeup - something she didn't do very often.

When she was ready, Tris carried her cap and gown downstairs, grabbed a sandwich and some fruit that Natalie had set out for the family to eat during all the comings and goings of the day, and went out on the back patio. There she finally found the peace and quiet that her racing mind was longing for. She let texts from her friends go unanswered and simply basked in the quiet and the perfect May weather.

The sound of the patio door broke Tris' reverie, but she smiled when she saw Eric and Ava stepping out to join her. The almost five-month-old baby squealed and grinned when she saw Tris, waving her chubby little arms at one of her favorite people. She was adorable in the black and red dress that Tris and Natalie had bought for her.

Eric looked good as well. He was wearing black slacks and dress shoes, a dark grey button-down with the sleeves rolled in a way that highlighted his muscular body, and a slim black tie. His hair was freshly trimmed and gelled back, and the tattoos on his neck and arms made Tris want to drool like Ava.

"You clean up nice," Tris complimented Eric shyly as she stood from the patio chair where she had been lounging.

Eric used his free arm to pull Tris into a hug. "I'm so proud of you," he said. "You are an amazing person, and so da-, uh, dang beautiful."

Tris laughed at Eric's attempt to censor his language in front of the baby.

"I mean it," he said. "I don't deserve you, Duchess, and I'm still in awe that you're willing to give me a chance."

"Warrior," Tris said in a warning tone. "You deserve the best of everything. You're wicked smart, hard-working, and hot as h-, hades."

"You laughed at me," Eric said, "but it's not easy for you, either!"

Tris laughed too, then suddenly pulled back. "Ow!" she exclaimed, reaching up to disentangle Ava's fingers from the hair she was yanking on. "You are the reason I usually put my hair up, young lady. Now I know why so many moms cut their hair short."

Eric lifted an eyebrow, wondering if Tris realized that she just loosely implied that she filled the mother role in Ava's life. He loved the connection between his daughter and the young woman he had fallen for, and hoped that it would only grow with time.

"I need to go fix my hair," Tris said once Ava's fingers were released. "Mom wants to take pictures."

"Wait," Eric said as Tris turned to go. "We came out here because Ava and I have a present for you." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a flat rectangular jeweler's box.

"Eric," she whispered.

He handed Tris the box, and she opened it to reveal a pendant on a chain. It was the Dauntless flame logo, white gold with tiny red garnet and orange citrine gems on the flames.

"I know you're not my girlfriend _yet_," Eric said, "but consider this a graduation gift from a grateful father to the woman whose 'ordinary act of bravery' saved his daughter and restored what he thought was lost."

Tris beamed up at Eric. "Can I help you put it on?" he asked hopefully.

"I think you have your hands full," she said, nodding at the baby as she removed the necklace from its box.

Eric shrugged and set his daughter on the grass. Ava was sitting up now, so he assumed she would be fine on the manicured lawn for a moment. Instead, the baby let out a shriek and began wailing. She lifted her bare legs off the ground, but that threw off her balance, and she toppled over.

Eric panicked and snatched up his daughter like he was saving her from danger, but Tris just laughed. "She's fine," Tris assured him through giggles. "A lot of babies don't like grass. It's prickly."

"That's what you were screaming about?" Eric asked the now-content baby. "Such a drama queen."

.

Natalie went a little crazy taking photos. She snapped shots of Eric and his daughter all dressed up. She photographed Tris with the baby, Tris alone, Tris with Eric and Ava, and Tris with Caleb. She had Eric take pictures of Tris with her parents, and of the four Priors together.

Eric was nearly late by the time he escaped and made his way to Factions High School. Tris left a few minutes later, and faced another round of rabid photography when she met up with Christina and Marlene.

Promptly at seven o'clock, the chamber ensemble began playing Pomp and Circumstance, and the students filed into the auditorium by faction program. Factions was a small charter school with a student population of only about four hundred. This year's graduating class included twelve Abnegation, fifteen Candor, twenty Dauntless, twenty-four Erudite, and thirty Amity.

Within each faction the students were arranged alphabetically, so Tris followed Uriah during the procession, and sat between him and Lynn. Max led their group into the auditorium, and the other trainers, including Eric, brought up the end of the Dauntless line.

The ceremony opened with a speech by the head principal, Dr. Roth. She talked about the unique opportunities that the faction system provided for students, and how many graduates had gone on to great things. She assured the audience that this year's class showed the same incredible potential.

After a song by the choir, the factions began their graduations. Jack Kang spoke for a brief moment about Candor's graduates. He and his staff conferred diplomas on each student, then he gave a brief presentation on their top student of the year, a boy who had worked with the city council to enact some new safety measures in their community. The presentation even included a slideshow of images from city council meetings, and of the student standing by the crosswalks he had fought for.

Abnegation went next. Ethan Black spoke about the importance of service, handed out diplomas, and awarded their top rank to a student who had over a thousand service hours accumulated during her high school years.

Amity followed Abnegation, and their portion took longer because they had more students. Johanna spoke about peace, kindness, and the value of the arts, then gave their top rank to Danielle Pohler, a talented musician. The slideshow for her included several video clips of vocal and instrumental performances.

As always, Erudite was the most boring. Everyone knew Jeanine Matthews loved to talk, and she made the most of the microphone, droning on and on about the achievements and future plans of her graduates. Uriah dozed off, and Tris elbowed him awake when he started to snore. The Erudite teachers handed out diplomas, then Jeanine spent a few more minutes droning on about their top student, who was obviously her pet.

When Erudite finally finished, Max took the stage. Tris had always loved the way Dauntless handled their part of the ceremony, and she was glad to see that Max was continuing Harrison's tradition.

The leader was dressed similarly to Eric, in black slacks and a black button-down with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. When he placed one hand on each side of the podium and barked "Dauntless!" every senior and the trainers behind them kept to their feet and stood at attention.

"We believe in ordinary acts of bravery," Max began speaking. Every Dauntless student, graduate, alumnus, staff person, and many of the parents joined him as they recited the Dauntless manifesto.

_We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another._

_We believe that peace and justice are hard-won, and sometimes it is necessary to fight for what is right._

_We believe in preparing ourselves, body, mind, and will, to face whatever may come._

_We believe in freedom from fear, in denying fear the power to influence our decisions, and acting in the face of fear, no matter what the cost to our comfort, our happiness, or even our lives._

_We believe in shouting for those who can only whisper, in defending those who cannot defend themselves._

_We believe, not just in bold words but in bold deeds to match them._

_We believe in action._

At the end of the manifesto, Amar and Tori moved to the front of the group and led them to the stage. The two of them stood at the bottom of the stairs and greeted each graduate as he or she walked up and accepted their diploma from Max and Principal Roth. Once all of the Dauntless graduates had walked, they returned to their seats and Max returned to the podium.

"In the history of the Dauntless program, there have been many heroes," Max said. "We have seen alumni run into burning buildings to save lives. We have seen alumni throw themselves on grenades to save their fellow soldiers. But most of us will never face that kind of situation. Most of our lives will never call for an extraordinary act of bravery. But the ordinary act of bravery can be just as powerful. It takes great bravery to tell the truth," he said, pointing at the Candor section. "It takes great bravery to sacrifice one's time for the greater good." He pointed to the Abnegation, and then the Amity. "It takes great bravery to bring peace where there is conflict. And it takes great bravery to dedicate one's life to making the world a better place through education and research," Max said, pointing at the Erudite.

"This year's top-ranked Dauntless initiate performed an ordinary act of bravery that saved a precious life. She claims that she was just in the right place at the right time, but being in the right place at the right time and doing the next right thing is all it takes. Tris Prior saved a baby's life back in December and restored a family."

_I'm the top-ranked initiate?_ Tris thought, covering her face in shock as a picture of her with tiny newborn Ava appeared on the screen behind Max. Uriah let out a whoop beside her, and tackled Tris in a bear hug.

"Tris was out for a jog one morning and found an abandoned infant in the cold. She shared her body heat and called for help. She and her family took the child in as a foster placement, and cared for her as their own. When it was discovered that the infant's mother was deceased, and her father didn't even know she existed, Tris and her family worked with social services to unite baby Ava with her father, our own Dauntless trainer Eric Coulter."

Gasps were heard around the auditorium, none louder than Christina's as she turned and gave Tris a knowing look.

"The Prior family has continued to support Eric and Ava as they adjust to life together," Max added, and the audience applauded as Eric stepped on to the stage with Ava in his arms.

Stepping up to the podium, Eric looked Tris directly in the eyes as he took a turn speaking. "The day I found out about Ava was the happiest day of my life," he said. "I have Tris and her family to thank for that. Tris named my daughter Ava Hope, which means 'Where there is life, there is hope.' Thank you, Tris, for Ava's life and my hope. Your ordinary act of bravery changed everything."

Max invited Tris to the stage and continued speaking. "In addition to that brave action, Tris Prior has been our top student academically, excelling even in dual-credit courses at the college level. She is a multi-sport athlete, a community volunteer, and is deadly accurate with throwing knives."

The crowd laughed, and Tris took squirming Ava into her arms as she stood beside Eric and Max. "Tris was the first student in Factions High School history to test equally for three different factions," Max continued. "Dauntless was proud when she chose us. She has continued to make us proud every day, and I know that she will long into the future. Ladies and gentlemen, Dauntless' top initiate, Tris Prior!"

The auditorium burst into applause, and everyone laughed when little Ava joined them, clapping her chubby hands. Eric and Max each hugged Tris for a long moment, then Principal Roth presented her with the Dauntless award. Eric escorted Tris off the stage, where Caleb waited to take Ava.

Back in her seat, Tris accepted the congratulations of her friends and classmates. One more song was performed, and Principal Roth made a few closing remarks before announcing the graduating class. Confetti cannons popped, and the rain of multi-colored hats, streamers, and confetti was met with cheers and applause from the audience.

Grabbing the nearest black cap off the floor, Tris joined the recessional out to the sweeping front lawn, and searched the crowd for her family and Eric. Friends, parents of friends, and teachers stopped to congratulate Tris, ask about Ava, and get a picture or hug with her.

"I totally get it now!" Christina exclaimed loudly as she and Marlene mobbed Tris. Christina pulled her into a hug and not-so-quietly spoke in Tris' ear. "You're right," she said, "he _is_ cute."

Hearing everything, Marlene nodded vigorously before Uriah's mom, Hana, appeared and pulled her in for a hug.

Ava was the first to find Tris. The baby's squeal alerted her to the location of her family, and Tris hurried to hug her parents and Caleb. Christina, Marlene, and Uriah appeared to officially meet the little one and greet the Priors. Soon the baby was fussing, overwhelmed with all the noise and overly tired from being up past her bedtime.

Tris removed her uncomfortable polyester graduation gown and took Ava into her arms. She tossed a light blanket over the baby's head and rocked back and forth while murmuring soothingly to the infant. She worked her way to the edge of the crowd, where she hoped it would be quieter. It took some effort, but eventually Ava drifted off to sleep in her arms.

"Why are you over here?" asked a deep voice. "This is your celebration, you should be over there jumping up and down and taking selfies like your crazy friends."

Tris turned and smiled at Eric. "My baby was fussy," she said. "She and I were both overwhelmed by all the noise. Short people like us tend to get lost in a crowd."

"I should get her home to bed," Eric said.

"She's asleep now, so you don't need to hurry," Tris replied. "Go congratulate your students or something. Socialize."

"I am socializing, Duchess," Eric said, placing a warm hand on Tris' back. "I'm talking to the only person I want to spend time with - my girlfriend."

"One more day, Coach," Tris warned Eric.


	13. Chapter 13

Eric woke up on Saturday morning to the sound of his daughter babbling through the baby monitor. He smiled as he realized that today was finally the day he had been waiting for - his first real date with Tris and the official beginning of their relationship. He grabbed his phone off the charger on his nightstand and hauled his large frame out of the king-sized bed.

He glanced at his phone on the way to the nursery and was alarmed to see several missed calls and text messages that had arrived overnight. The most recent text was from Natalie, and it said that they were awake and having breakfast, so he and Ava should come over as soon as they were ready for the day. He hadn't been expecting to see the Priors until his evening date with Tris, so the summons worried him.

Ava was sitting up in the crib, her newest trick, and she laughed and waved her arms when she saw her daddy walk in. The motion upset her fragile balance, and she toppled over on the mattress. Eric chuckled at her antics as he lifted her out of the crib and carried her to the changing table, but his thoughts raced as he hurriedly changed and dressed his daughter.

As soon as Ava was dressed for the day, Eric carried her downstairs and strapped her in her highchair. As he prepared her morning bottle and cereal, he scrolled through the messages on his phone. The earliest call had come from Max at three o'clock in the morning. There was no voicemail, but a group text from Max to the other Dauntless trainers followed at three thirty.

**M: Staff, there was an incident at the all-night grad party. Peter Hayes snuck alcohol to the event. He became belligerent and attacked another student. He has been arrested for assault and underage drinking. No one was seriously hurt. I will message again if there is more information.**

The next missed call from Max came just minutes later, again with no voicemail. Then there was a text from Max to Eric only.

**M: The student Peter assaulted was Tris. She is okay, and Andrew is coming to pick her up.**

Eric swore under his breath as he frantically scrolled to the next message, this one from Andrew.

**A: Max said he messaged you. Beatrice is okay and resting at home. Call in the morning.**

A text from Tris had followed just a minute behind her father's message.

**T: I'm sure you've heard from Max, and probably my parents or brother. Dad just brought me home from the hospital. I have a few stitches and bruises, but I'm fine, I promise. Uri and Will pulled Peter off me before he could do much more than talk shit. I'll call when I wake up in the morning, or you can just come over.**

_Hospital?_ Eric thought. Every message caused his anxiety to grow. He had a missed call from the Priors' home and one from Natalie's cell phone that had come in just minutes before he woke up, plus the last text from Natalie telling him to come over to the house anytime.

Finishing Ava's cereal and wiping her face, he offered his daughter the bottle with one hand and dialed Andrew with the other.

"Good morning, Eric," Andrew greeted. His voice sounded tired and serious, but calm.

"What happened?" Eric asked. "I woke up this morning with a pile of missed calls and text messages. Is Tris okay?"

"She is going to be fine," Andrew assured him. "That Hayes kid snuck a flask into the party and got drunk. He started making accusations about Tris and her top ranking award. Apparently she yelled some things back, and he attacked her. It took four other kids to break them apart, and the police were called."

"She said she was in the hospital," Eric said, his knee bouncing nervously as he waited for the rest of the story.

"A small gash on her forehead," Andrew said. "You know how head injuries bleed. The police and Max took her in for a few stitches, and she has some bruising as well. No concussion or other injuries. She's asleep right now."

Eric growled, resisting the urge to swear because he was with his daughter. Ava laughed and growled around the bottle she was drinking. She growled again, still mimicking her father, then started giggling. That broke the tension, and Eric smiled at the baby. She was pretty much just playing with the bottle, making milk bubbles and dribbling the last of its contents down her double chin.

Eric withdrew the bottle from her mouth, and told Andrew that he and Ava would be over to the house in a little while.

.

Tris slept until after ten o'clock in the morning for the first time she could remember. When she woke up, she smiled at the sound of Ava making noises from downstairs. As she stretched, the soreness in her ribs and face reminded her of what had transpired the night before.

Gingerly, Tris worked her way out of the warm covers and walked to the mirror hanging on her wall. Her face was a little puffy, especially around the cut on her forehead. Five stitches, the ER doctor had said. There was also a bruise on her left cheekbone, and her bottom lip was split and puffy. As she worked to put her hair up in a messy bun, Tris' ribs screamed in pain. She lifted her sleep tank and examined the bruises on her torso. The doctors had assured her that nothing was broken, but it still hurt.

Tris dressed in a fitted camisole and a sweatshirt. She didn't want anyone to know how badly she was hurt, and the cami would keep her bruised ribs covered if her sweatshirt shifted. She threw on a pair of comfortable yoga pants and took one last look in the mirror. There was nothing she could do about the fact that her face was beat up. _This is going to make for some memorable grad party photos tomorrow_, she thought wryly.

Suddenly she remembered the date she was supposed to go on with Eric, and tears sprang to her eyes. She dropped into the rocking chair she hadn't removed from her room after Ava moved out. Grabbing a tissue from the nearby box, Tris dabbed gently at the tears streaming down her bruised face.

"Beatrice?" Natalie asked gently as she walked into her daughter's room. "Are you alright?"

Tris nodded and sniffled. "Just assessing the damage," she said, trying to put on a brave front.

"Oh, Sweetheart," Natalie said as she crossed the room and knelt in front of her daughter. She smoothed the hair back from Tris' forehead, and looked at her stitched and bandaged cut. "I don't think it will scar, and the bruises will fade in a few days."

"I was supposed to go out with Eric tonight," Tris said as her brave front faltered under her mother's gentle care. "And what about my grad party tomorrow? I look like hamburger meat, and I'm stiff and sore."

"You and Eric can adjust your plans," Natalie said soothingly. "Maybe tonight Ava can stay here, and the two of you can get takeout and watch a movie or something. Then you can go out when you're feeling better. That young man will be around when you're healed, trust me. He's been like a caged animal down there all morning. He goes back and forth between wanting to kill Peter with his bare hands and wanting to come up here so he can see for himself that you're really okay. The only thing keeping him from going crazy is Ava. Apparently he growled this morning, and now she won't stop doing it. Of course, Caleb is egging her on. She sounds like a little puppy."

Tris smiled, then sighed. "I suppose I can't hide up here all day. I need some ice, and to see this growling baby trick."

"I'll get an ice pack ready," Natalie said. "Come down when you're ready."

A few minutes later, Tris made her way down the stairs and followed the sound of Ava's noises to the family room.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the lightweight champion of the world!" Caleb announced when she walked in, then reached to poke at his sister's side.

"No!" Tris yelled in panic as she pulled away from the fingers heading toward her bruised ribs.

Eric leapt up from the floor, and Ava started to cry at the sudden movements and Tris' alarmed exclamation. Tris wrapped her arms protectively around her midsection.

"Grab Ava," Eric ordered Caleb in his instructor voice.

Caleb looked worriedly at his sister as he moved to obey Eric's command. Eric approached Tris cautiously, and she could see his eyes examining every inch of her face as he did. His eyes landed on her arms around her middle.

"I'm okay," she insisted. "He startled me. I'm fine."

"And your ribs?" Eric asked. "Can I see them?"

Tris shook her head.

"Did the doctor look at them?" Eric asked.

"Yes," Tris said defensively. "Nothing is broken."

"Just bruised?" Eric guessed. Tris made no response.

"How bad?" Eric asked. Tris only shrugged.

Natalie walked in with an ice pack wrapped in a kitchen towel. "What is going on in here?" she asked as she observed the tense standoff.

"Tris neglected to tell us that she has bruised ribs," Caleb informed their mother.

"Which side?" Eric asked, watching Tris' reaction intently. She hesitated just a second, then pointed to her left side.

"So both?" Eric asked, making Tris huff.

"Come with me," Natalie ordered her daughter. "You boys stay here with Ava." She led her daughter to the kitchen and grabbed a second ice pack from the freezer.

"Show me," she demanded, and Tris hesitated. "Show me," Natalie repeated.

"I have another tattoo you don't know about," Tris said.

"And I have three of them," Natalie replied testily. "Now show me some ribs."

Carefully Tris lifted the right side of her sweatshirt and camisole, and Natalie swore at the sight of her daughter's side, which was streaked with purple.

Tris giggled, and Natalie gave her a dirty look. "Beatrice Grace," she said, her voice shaking with anger and pain. "I do not see what is so funny."

"I've never heard you swear before," Tris said.

"When someone beats the shit out of my child, I'm allowed to swear," Natalie said. "Now other side."

Tris sighed, knowing her left side was even worse. As she cautiously lifted that side of her shirt, Natalie gasped, and her eyes filled with tears.

"It looks worse than it is, Mama," Tris said, trying to soothe her mother.

"Have you seen this?" Natalie asked, pointing at the purple blotches. "Are you sure nothing is broken? Did they do an x-ray?"

Tris assured her mother that the doctor had done an x-ray and that her ribs were bruised but unbroken. Natalie left to get an Ace bandage so she could wrap Tris' torso and keep ice packs in place. As Tris waited for her mom to come back, Andrew walked into the kitchen.

"It's a good thing your mother doesn't own a gun," he said lightheartedly. "And I understand you have another tattoo we haven't seen."

"She wants to shoot me for getting another tattoo?" Tris asked.

"No, she wants to shoot Peter," Andrew said. "Apparently your ribs are, and I quote, 'so black you can't even see the second tattoo she didn't tell us about.'"

"I got it for Ava," Tris said. "It wasn't something to show off. It's just for me. It says 'Where there is life there is hope.' Tori painted the same thing on the nursery wall, in the same font and everything."

"I'd like to see that once you're healed up," Andrew said gently.

When Natalie returned, Tris could see the fire in her eyes as she instructed Andrew to stand behind Tris and help her hold up her arms and her sweatshirt while Natalie wrapped her ribs over the camisole. She tucked three ice packs into the bandage wrap, then righted Tris' sweatshirt and handed her a fourth ice pack for her face.

"We only have four of those," Natalie told Andrew as she began to bustle around the kitchen. "That was enough when the kids had their wisdom teeth out. But it would be best if we had four more so they can be changed out every few hours. We can send Caleb to the drugstore."

Natalie presented Tris with some reheated scrambled eggs, fruit salad, and a bottle of water. "After you've eaten I want you to take two acetaminophen, not ibuprofen, so pay attention. I have some cream for bruising, and when you're not so tender we can rub some of that on your ribs. Avoid heavy lifting, _including Ava_, and rest as much as you can.

"Now, eat your breakfast. I have to go deal with the boys." With that, Natalie turned and marched out of the kitchen. Tris' mouth was hanging open, and Andrew had a smirk on his face.

"That's the firecracker I fell in love with," Andrew said.

"I've never seen her like that," Tris replied, laughing. "She swore earlier!"

Andrew grinned at his daughter. "What would you do if someone hurt Ava?" he asked.

Tris' jaw clenched. "I'm 'deadly accurate with throwing knives,' remember?"

Andrew laughed and kissed his daughter on the temple. "I'd better go check on her. Your mother and Eric might team up, and there would be no stopping them."

Tris finished her breakfast and dug through the cabinet for some acetaminophen. Unfortunately it was on the second shelf of the upper cabinets, and Tris' ribs weren't letting her reach that far. She huffed in frustration and wondered if there was some she could reach in the bathroom or Natalie's purse.

"Something bothering you, Duchess?" came Eric's voice from the doorway.

"Everything is bothering me," Tris confessed testily. "But the most urgent issue is that I can't reach the Tylenol."

Eric walked up behind her and reached for the pills, setting the bottle on the counter in front of her.

"What else can I do for you?" he asked gently, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"I don't like being helpless," Tris said. "We're supposed to go on a date tonight, and I look like I was hit with a baseball bat. My grad party is tomorrow, and if anyone tries to hug me I might scream. A million people are going to show up and expect to take pictures with me, busted face and all. And... Mom… said... I can't... hold... Ava!"

As Tris sobbed out the last sentence, she turned and buried her face in Eric's chest. He held her close, careful not to hurt her bruised body, and stroked her back as he let her cry.

"I've wanted to hold you like this for a long time," Eric admitted. "Not the crying part, but just to hold you in my arms and know that I'm allowed to be with you and that you want to be with me. I can wait another week or two to take you out on the town. As long as you'll be with me and be my girlfriend, I'm the happiest guy in the world."

Tris' tears stopped, but she stayed wrapped in Eric's embrace. "I cancelled the babysitter," he said. "Tori was going to watch Ava tonight. But I think it would be better if we stayed in so you can relax. Your mom offered to watch Ava, or we can take her home with us - I mean back to my house. Or we can hang out here with your family if you prefer. Like I said, as long as we're together, I'm happy."

"Being with you makes me happy, too," Tris said. "Is it okay if we go to your house? It's quieter there, and we can just hang out and relax, maybe get to know each other better."

"Should we leave Ava here or take her with us?" Eric asked.

"She's going to nap soon, and she goes to bed early," Tris said. "We'll have plenty of time to ourselves, and some time with her, too. Even if I can't hold her."

Eric found Natalie and Andrew and explained to them that he was taking Tris to his home to relax. Natalie gave him specific instructions on caring for the bruises, and again offered to keep Ava. Eric declined, and promised to have Tris home in time for an early bedtime.

He gathered Ava's things, then loaded her into his truck. Tris slipped into a pair of flip-flops and followed him outside. Eric opened the passenger door, and Tris hesitated.

She put one foot up on the running board and tried to climb in. Eric put his hands on Tris' hips as she faltered.

"I've got you, Duchess," he said gently, supporting her weight as she got in the cab of the tall truck.

Tris slowly worked the seatbelt across her stiff body as Eric climbed in and started the truck. As he backed down the Priors' driveway and bumped onto the street, Tris bit back a groan.

Eric drove through the neighborhood, and every pothole and seam in the road caused the seatbelt to press into Tris' ribs. By the time they were halfway to Eric's, Tris was in pain. After a stoplight changed and Eric was forced to brake firmly, Tris yelped.

"Tris?" Eric asked, glancing at her in alarm.

"The seatbelt," she said through gritted teeth.

"Should I stop?" Eric asked.

"We're almost there," Tris said, "just be gentle."

Tris loosened her seatbelt, and held it so it wasn't pressing on her ribs. "That's better," she said, and Eric relaxed as he gingerly drove the truck onto his driveway.

"Don't move," he said, hurrying out of the truck as soon as it was in park.

Tris gratefully removed her seatbelt as Eric came around and opened her door. He reached into the truck and slid Tris into his strong arms.

"Well hello there, Warrior," Tris said, kissing Eric on the cheek.

"You doing okay, Duchess?"

"I am now," Tris said flirtatiously.

"Mmm," Eric nuzzled into Tris' neck. "As much as I would love to stand in the driveway and hold my girlfriend all afternoon, there's a sweet little baby who also needs to be carried inside."

"And I do have two working legs," Tris added.

Eric lowered her gently to the ground, and Tris walked into the house.

"Let's go upstairs," Eric said as he prepared a bottle for Ava. "We can feed her, and I'll change her and lay her down for a nap. Then we can lay on my big bed and watch a movie up there while you rest."

Once Ava was down for her nap, Eric walked back into his bedroom. He stopped in the doorway and observed the sight in front of him. There was Tris, on his bed. She was eighteen, no longer a student, and she wanted to be there with him.

"Something wrong, Warrior?" Tris asked.

"Not a thing in the world," Eric replied as he gingerly laid down on his side facing Tris, careful not to jar her bruised body.

He reached over and stroked her uninjured cheek with the back of his hand. "You are so beautiful," he said.

"I don't feel so beautiful," Tris said. "And I could do without the bruises, but I'm glad to be here with you."

For a few minutes they just laid and looked into each other's eyes, sharing small smiles that made Tris blush.

"I love you, Tris," Eric confessed. "Can I kiss you?"

Tris nodded, and Eric admired the sparkle in her eyes as he leaned toward her. He stroked her cheek again as he tipped his face to hers and gently pressed their lips together as her eyes fluttered closed.

Tris sighed and opened her eyes, her grey-blues locked with Eric's grey. "I love you, Warrior," she said.

Eric kissed Tris again, then encouraged her to nap for a while. She laid her head on the pillow beside his and drifted off to sleep with their hands clasped together.


	14. Chapter 14

When Tris and Ava woke from their naps, the three of them relocated to the living room. Eric ordered Chinese delivery for an early dinner since neither he nor Tris had eaten since the late breakfast at the Priors'.

Eric and Tris sat on the floor and played with Ava and her toys while they waited for their food. Tris finally got to see Ava growl, and it made her laugh, which made her ribs ache. Eric noticed and insisted that Tris ice them again. He brought her two ice packs, and she tucked them into the Ace bandage just like her mother had earlier.

Tris was laying on the floor a few feet from Ava, watching the baby and her daddy play, when the doorbell rang. Eric got up to meet the delivery man, and Ava was left on her tummy, surrounded by infant toys.

The baby looked over at Tris and grinned her drooling grin. Tris smiled back, and Ava flailed and kicked as she babbled. Then she reached her arms forward and pulled her body toward Tris. Tris' eyes grew wide as the happy baby did it again and again, inching closer like an army commando crawling through mud.

When the baby reached her destination, she held her arms up to Tris and grunted, asking to be held. Tris swept the little girl into her arms and squeezed her.

"Look at you!" Tris exclaimed as Eric came back with two bags of food. "You're getting big!"

Ava babbled and patted Tris' cheeks in reply.

"Duchess, I hate to nag," Eric said, "but you're not supposed to lift her. I'm sure she was fine on her tummy for a minute. Even if she got frustrated when I left, it's not like she could get into anything."

Tris laughed. "Sometimes parents just don't understand, right Sunshine?"

Turning to Eric, Tris said, "You need to get the baby book, Warrior, because I didn't go to her; she came to me."

"She crawled?" Eric asked, stunned. "Already?"

"It was more of an army crawl," Tris said. "She dragged herself to me."

Eric set the food bags in the kitchen and rushed back to where Tris and Ava reclined on the living room floor. He got his phone ready, then put Ava on her tummy a few feet away from Tris, and crouched beside his girlfriend to record the baby.

"Come on, Ava!" Eric encouraged.

The baby lifted her head and smiled at her two favorite people. Then she began kicking and waving her arms.

"She did that last time, too," Tris said. "She's revving up her engine."

"Vroom vroom," Eric made engine noises at his daughter. Ava laughed, then growled at her dad in reply. The video wobbled as Eric shook with silent laughter.

Ava locked eyes with Tris, and Tris held out her hands toward the little one. Understanding the gesture, Ava began dragging herself toward Tris' outstretched arms.

When the baby reached her, Tris scooped her up for a hug, just like before. They turned to smile at Eric, and he stopped the video on the image of Tris and Ava, their cheeks pressed together as they grinned at him proudly. A stray tear streaked down Eric's cheek as he smiled back at his two girls. Tris reached to wipe it away, and he captured her hand in his own and brought it to his lips for a kiss.

"I'm so glad you're here with us," he said to Tris. "We feel whole now. You're the difference between a frazzled single father barely holding it together and a real family."

"Eric," Tris said gently before leaning over to give him a light kiss. "You and Ava _are_ a family. You're so good with her. I see you getting more confident every day, and she is growing and thriving."

"I know, Duchess," Eric replied. "But you're part of our family, and it just feels good to have you here."

Eric sat down beside Tris and put an arm around her shoulders. As they leaned against the couch side-by-side, Eric messed around on his phone for a minute while Tris stood Ava on her lap and let the baby bounce on her thighs.

"Have you ever seen those baby jumper things that hang in a door frame?" Tris asked. "Ava is the right age for that. I'll bet she would love it. Or maybe an exersaucer - or a walker since you don't have any stairs that go down. She's going to want to be more upright and mobile as she gets bigger. I think my parents still have an exersaucer. We should try her in that tomorrow."

Eric kissed Tris on the cheek. "I sent you that video," he said. "And I extracted a couple still photos from the video for the baby book. She crawled for you first, so you'll make that entry, right?"

Tris agreed, and Eric stood up to get the book. When he did, he saw the bags of Chinese food waiting in the kitchen and laughed. "We forgot about dinner," he told Tris.

She laughed as well. "Food first, baby book second," she said.

.

After eating their dinner, Tris and Eric fed baby Ava some cereal, and Tris wrote about Ava's milestone in the baby journal. Then they went upstairs, and Tris watched Eric give the little one a bath. He kept an infant tub in the bathroom next to Ava's room, so Tris sat on the toilet lid and ran her fingers through Eric's hair while he washed Ava and she splashed and played.

When the baby was clean and dressed in a sleeper, Tris begged to be allowed to hold her and feed her a bedtime bottle.

"She can be wiggly," Eric protested. "And she's getting strong. I don't want her to kick you in the ribs or something."

"She sat with me in the living room," Tris argued, "and we were fine."

Eric sighed in defeat. "You'll sit in the chair?"

"Of course," Tris said, rolling her eyes.

"And you'll let me carry her to the crib?"

"Fine," she huffed, though she thought she could have easily done that, too.

"I'll get a pillow," Eric said, ducking out of the nursery with Ava in his arms.

Tris rolled her eyes again and sat down in the oversized upholstered rocker in the corner. Eric returned with one of the pillows from his bed, and placed it over Tris' torso.

"Really?" she questioned. "I'm going to hold my baby, not take a cannonball to the gut."

"Humor me," Eric said, setting Ava on the pillow.

Tris cooed at the little one while Eric prepared a bottle. Ava stared lovingly at Tris, her eyes getting sleepy.

"Look at that face," Eric said as he handed Tris the bottle. "She's such a mama's girl."

Tris' eyes snapped to Eric's face, and he realized what he had said. "I…" he stammered. "I… Shit. I'm sorry? I mean, I'm actually not sorry, but… "

"Eric," Tris interrupted, her voice shaking. "I'm not Melinda. I know you thought the two of you were going to be a family. You thought you would be there for Ava's birth, and bring her home from the hospital, and raise her, and just… be a family. But that didn't happen. You got your daughter back, but you didn't revert back to the original plan. As much as I love you and Ava, this isn't the family you were planning a year ago.

"Ava and I have a unique bond born of her traumatic beginning and the time we spent clinging to one another. I was terrified that she would have attachment issues or failure to thrive. She was born into this world and literally thrown away. She started her life with a negative balance, so to speak, and I wanted her to know what it was to be loved the way she deserved. But no matter how much I love her or she loves me back, no matter how much time we spend together, even if this relationship between you and I works out long-term, I won't be her mom. We didn't create her with our love. She didn't grow in my belly. I didn't give birth to her, and I couldn't nurse her. I'm not really her mother.

"If you're confused about who I am… If I'm here as some kind of replacement - taking Melinda's place, then… then I don't know if this is going to work out."

Eric dropped to his knees beside the chair where Tris held the now-sleeping baby. "Tris," he breathed. "Duchess…"

For a minute they sat quietly, gathering their thoughts as Tris cried silent tears and Eric fought for the words to explain how he felt.

"I'm _not_ confused," Eric said gently. "I've never been confused about who you are. In my mind, Melinda is just an ex, a woman I dated for a while and who left when things didn't work out. We never lived together. I hadn't said 'I love you' for a long time when she left. I wasn't planning a future with her. When she told me she was pregnant, I fell in love with the idea of Ava, and I stayed with Melinda for my baby's sake. I'm sorry she died. I'm sad that her demons won and she went back to drugs. But I wouldn't wish her back. Not even for Ava. I'm angry that she chose drugs over her baby. I'm furious that she abandoned my daughter in the cold.

"Ava doesn't need Melinda. Ava isn't missing anything in her life. She has two parent figures who love her with all their hearts. I know you're not her birth mother, but Tris, you are her _real_ mother, because you're the one who loves her and takes care of her.

"As for me, I've been crushing on you for a long time. I shouldn't admit this, but I was interested in you before Melinda left me. I tried to tell myself that it was just because I was lonely in my broken relationship. You were this bright, beautiful woman, but I was your student teacher, and I was trying to hold together a relationship with the woman who was expecting my baby. When Melinda left it was really hard not to think about you. When I finished student teaching and we met at my graduation, I thought we might be friends. I hoped we could go out on a date. I wanted you before you became attached to my daughter - before I even knew Ava still existed. My feelings for you are independent of Ava, yet strengthened every time I see the way the two of you love each other."

Eric stood and lifted the sleeping baby from Tris' arms, tucking her into her crib for the night. They left the nursery, and Eric tossed the pillow back into the master bedroom before leading Tris downstairs.

"Duchess, I have a question for you," Eric said once they had settled on the couch. "Would you like to stay here tonight? I can sleep on the couch or set myself up on the floor in the nursery and you can take my bed if you want. I have a big tub you can soak in, too. I just don't want you to be in pain, and that seatbelt thing this morning really seemed to hurt you. It's quiet here, and you can just relax and I can take care of you."

Tris giggled. "I may be eighteen, but I don't think my parents would be happy about that. I'll tell you what - if you can convince my dad, I'm in."

Eric took a few swipes at his phone and smugly handed it to Tris. The screen was showing a text conversation between Eric, Natalie, and Andrew.

**E: (Video of Ava army crawling to Tris)**

**N: OMG! I've been trying to get her to come to me. Of course she does all her tricks for Tris!**

**A: That baby sure loves Beatrice.**

**N: You're not letting her lift Ava, are you? Her ribs need to heal.**

**E: I'm not, I promise**

**E: The ride over was hard on Tris. The seatbelt hurt her ribs. She took a long nap when we got here.**

**N: Do you have ice and acetaminophen?**

**E: She's been icing it this afternoon, but doesn't want any pain meds.**

**E: (Picture of Ava and Tris taken from the end of the video)**

**E: I was thinking that it might be best if Tris stays here tonight.**

**E: This is not about sex. You've seen her ribs. I just want her to have a quiet place to rest and more time to heal before she wears a seatbelt again.**

**N: You're adults. If Tris wants to sleep there, that's between you and her.**

**A: I don't want to hear anything about Beatrice and sex in the same sentence. Ever. (see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil monkey emojis)**

**N: Andrew! Our daughter is growing up. Just make sure you use protection, Eric. You already have one child, and Beatrice is only eighteen.**

**E: Well, this is awkward. I haven't asked Tris if she wants to stay. I didn't want to start something if she said yes and you were offended.**

**N: She'll need some things. You let us know if she's staying, and we'll send Caleb over with a bag for her - or to pick her up so you don't have to wake Ava if Tris would rather go home.**

**E: Thank you. I'll let you know.**

As she got to the end of the conversation, Tris' face was bright red. She tapped out a reply to her parents on Eric's phone.

**Eric's number: This is Tris. I can't believe my parents and boyfriend are having text conversations about me and sex! Awkward doesn't scratch the surface! I think I'll stay here tonight - I don't really want to see either of you right now! I'll text Mom with a list of things I need.**

Tris tossed Eric's phone back at him and covered her face with one of the new throw pillows Eric had added to his couch. Eric read what she had sent to her parents and chuckled.

"Sorry, Duchess," Eric said. Tris peeked at him from behind the pillow, and he gave her his best puppy dog face.

"Put your boo-boo lip away," Tris said. "That only works for Ava."

Eric batted his eyelashes, and Tris threw the pillow at him before pulling her own phone out of her pocket to text Natalie.

**T: I need:**  
**PJs that aren't too revealing. E offered to sleep on the couch, but if I'm fully covered he shouldn't have to do that. He's too big to be comfortable on the couch.**  
**My jumpsuit for tomorrow**  
**The Dauntless necklace E gave me for graduation**  
**Clean bra and underwear (black)**  
**A swimsuit. E has a big tub, and I want my suit in case I need help getting in and out**  
**Hairbrush and deodorant. I'll do my makeup and change shoes when I get home**  
**Card for Lynn sitting on my desk. Her party is before mine and she leaves for the Marines Monday, so I need to stop there**  
**I think that's it.**

**N: Should I have Caleb pick up some condoms at the drug store?**

**T: NO!**

**N: I'm teasing you. But we should get you on birth control just to be careful.**

**T: Can we not talk about this?**

**N: Caleb will be there in a little bit.**

Tris sighed. "Here comes the next wave of torture," she said.

Eric laughed. "What now?"

"My brother is coming over with a bag of things for me," Tris said. "My mom offered to send him to the drug store to get us condoms. And, she wants to get me on birth control. All these 'fun' conversations thanks to you."

"Me?" Eric asked in a teasing voice. "I just wanted to have a sleepover with my girlfriend."

Tris turned to lean her back against the armrest so she could pull her legs up onto the couch and face Eric.

"How many girls have you slept with?" Tris asked hesitantly.

Eric's eyebrows lifted as he swallowed hard. "I think that topic is a bit heavy while we're waiting for your brother to arrive, don't you?"

"I didn't," Tris said, starting to worry, "but I guess the number must be higher than I expected."

Eric reached for Tris' feet and pulled them into his lap. "How about you then, if you think it's a light topic?"

"None," Tris said, and Eric's eyebrows shot up again. "I'm not into girls."

"Ha ha," Eric said, rolling his eyes. "That's not what I was asking and you know it."

"Well the answer is the same anyway," Tris said. "I'm a virgin."

"No shit?" Eric asked, and Tris just shook her head, biting her lip nervously. "Have you dated much?"

Tris shook her head again. "They were pretty strict at Abnegation Middle School, no dances or anything, so I missed all that awkwardness. My first boyfriend was in ninth grade when I passed notes and held hands with Robert Black for a few weeks. Do you know him? He graduated from Amity, and his twin sister Susan graduated from Abnegation."

They're Ethan's kids, right?" Eric asked, and Tris nodded.

"Anyway, that was my first little innocent thing. He dumped me for an Amity girl with big boobs. He's been dating his way through Amity's most well-endowed ever since. I went on a few dates after that, like in tenth and eleventh grade. A few school dances or meet-ups at the mall. I had a few casual two-week relationships, but nothing serious. Then this year we got a hot new student teacher, and high school boys lost their appeal."

"It was Four, wasn't it," Eric teased, making Tris laugh.

"Who was your first kiss?" Eric asked.

Tris' eyes widened. "Um, I think you were right. This topic isn't a good idea while we're waiting for company."

Eric looked at Tris shrewdly. "It wasn't me, was it?" he asked nervously.

"No," Tris answered, a bit sadly. "I wish it was, honestly. I would rather embarrass myself by admitting that no one kissed me until I was eighteen."

"How bad can it be?" Eric asked.

"I was fifteen and stupid," Tris said.

"The story of how I lost my virginity starts the same way," Eric said.

"Fifteen, huh?" Tris asked.

"Well," Eric said, averting his eyes and rubbing the back of his neck, "fourteen, actually. But definitely stupid."

The doorbell interrupted their conversation, and Tris and Eric were both relieved.


	15. Chapter 15

Caleb arrived with Tris' clothes and a container of her favorite ice cream.

"Okay, _Duchess_," Caleb greeted his sister, "who are those people, and what have you done with our parents? 'Take this luggage to your sister so she can sleep over at her boyfriend's' is right up there with 'I need you to kill a man' on the list of things I never thought Mom would say."

"She hasn't asked you to kill someone yet?" Tris asked, teasing her big brother.

"Never send an Erudite to do a Dauntless job," Eric said, and he and Tris high fived.

"Big talk for a former nose," Caleb said smartly.

"You were Erudite?" Tris asked.

"You didn't know that?" Caleb asked. "What do you two talk abou… Never mind; I don't want to know."

"Did Mom show you the video of Ava's new trick?" Tris asked Caleb, eager to change the subject before it went any further.

"No," Caleb said. "I just got home from work and she sent me to valet your luggage over here. What is my niece doing now?"

Eric proudly showed the video to Caleb while Tris scooped ice cream into bowls for the three of them.

"Ava really loves you," Caleb said as Tris handed him his bowl.

"She's the only mother Ava has known," Eric said, watching Tris' reaction to his words. "They've been together since day one."

"Except for that miserable three weeks you kept us apart," Tris added.

"Have you seen that video?" Eric asked Caleb.

"What video?" Caleb asked around a mouthful.

"The reunion," Eric said, reaching across Tris to hand his phone to Caleb.

Tris leaned into Eric, who wrapped one of his strong arms around her shoulders and nuzzled his face in her neck.

"Our reunion was incredible too," he whispered in her ear. "That was the day you agreed to go out with me."

"Mmm," Tris agreed, shivering as Eric kissed her neck, his lips cold from the ice cream.

"Damn," Caleb said in a thick voice when the video ended. "Ava was what, four months old? And she hadn't seen you in three weeks? That's incredible."

"Mom and I think it's connected to the trauma of her abandonment," Tris said.

"When I first brought her home, Natalie had to bring me one of Tris' pillowcases," Eric said. "I couldn't get Ava to settle down. She just looked around for Tris and cried. She was so little but so furious. It's funny now, but at the time I felt so helpless. Thank God for your mother."

"She's well-adjusted and happy now," Tris said. "Eric is doing a great job with her."

"Having you back in her life helps a lot," Eric said, kissing Tris' temple.

"Okay, you're both awesome and cute and whatever; don't make me barf," Caleb said, making a sick face at his sister and her boyfriend.

"I still want to know how you got Mom and Dad on board with this sleepover," Caleb said.

"I think they're just adjusting to us growing up," Tris said. "You left for college and had a great first year. Dad is looking forward to getting elected and moving to Washington or having Mom with him in Springfield more often."

"Plus, they see Tris' maturity with Ava," Eric added. "And we were really open with them for the last couple months. They knew we wanted to be together, and they appreciated the way we kept our distance until graduation."

"As confirmed by a lie detector test," Caleb said. "I still can't believe they did that to you."

"Max and I talked about that," Eric said. "He sat me down on Friday and apologized for the invasion of privacy. If Tris hadn't been the top graduate in Dauntless, or if they hadn't wanted to keep me on staff so badly, they probably would have taken our word for it and just not renewed me for next year. He assured me that only he, Harrison, and the technician who helped with the machine saw the test. Max has video in case accusations come up, but it's not being shown to the other staff or anyone else. In fact, I haven't seen it. Max offered, but I told him that it was Tris on the video, not me, so he had to talk to her about that. Plus, I'm afraid it would just piss me off."

"I still don't like it," Caleb said. "You should have had a choice in the matter. If they had asked you to take a polygraph, sure. Tell the truth and clear your names. But by making it part of your final test, you weren't given a choice. They wore you out physically, then locked you in an underground room where you had no idea where you were, and told you that the only way to pass was to take the test. On top of that, they kept you much longer than anyone expected, and you had no way to contact us. We were worried sick!"

"Caleb," Tris soothed, putting a hand on her brother's arm. "In Dauntless we learn to follow orders. We expect it to be tough, but we know our leaders will keep us safe. If I had refused to take that test, I might have lost the top rank I didn't even know I was getting, but Max or Harrison would have led me to the elevator, sent me home, and let me graduate. I was never afraid for my safety or of being denied the diploma I had earned. But I also knew that refusing the test would open an investigation into Eric's conduct. We had nothing to hide, so I didn't see the point of dragging things out or damaging Eric's career. I wanted to put it behind us so we could move forward together. Yes, it was frustrating and embarrassing. Yes, it went on too long and caused unnecessary anxiety for all of you. But it's over."

"I see your point," Caleb said reluctantly as he stood up from the couch. "I'm going to get going. It's getting late and I don't want to be the third wheel at your little sleepover."

Tris stood too, and wrapped her arms around Caleb. "I love you, Bub-bub," she said, using a childhood nickname from when she was too young to pronounce his name.

"I love you too, Bumble Bea," Caleb said as he gingerly returned the hug.

Once Caleb was gone, Eric suggested a soak in the tub for Tris' sore muscles. He locked up the house and put away the ice cream dishes, then the two of them walked upstairs, Eric insisting on carrying the bag of Tris' things.

"I had my mom send a bathing suit," she said, blushing slightly. "I feel better this evening, but I was afraid I would need help getting in our out of the bath."

"That was smart," Eric said. "Why don't I go in the bathroom and start the tub, and you can come in when you're dressed."

Eric grabbed something from his dresser, then planted a kiss on the tip of Tris' nose before stepping into the bathroom and shutting the door. Tris heard the water running as she dug through her bag.

Natalie had packed Tris' favorite bathing suit. It was a two-piece, but not as revealing as a bikini. The bottoms were athletic in style, black with white polka dots. The top was shaped like a cropped camisole with a ruffle detail at the modest cleavage, and it was white with black polka dots. Tris liked it because it felt cute and flirty without being too revealing. She could swim in it or play on the beach without being uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, the cropped top did reveal her bruised ribs. While Natalie's comment about the bruises being "so black you can't see her tattoo" had been a wild exaggeration, Tris' midsection did look pretty rough.

"Eric?" Tris called through the bathroom door.

"You can come in," he called back to her.

Tris cracked open the door and peeked inside. The bathtub was nearly filled, and Eric was sitting on the edge of it in a pair of shorts and his t-shirt. The bathroom smelled like lavender, and it soothed her slightly.

"Be nice," she warned Eric. "My suit doesn't cover the bruises."

"Come in here, Beautiful," he said. "I won't bite."

Tris opened the bathroom door fully, and stepped inside. Eric was careful to keep his eyes on Tris' face, and he smiled as she stepped closer. When she was within arm's reach, Eric put his hands on Tris' hips and drew her closer still.

"I love you," he said, staring into her eyes.

"I love you, too," Tris said.

Eric could still hear nervousness in her voice. He smiled at her reassuringly, and leaned forward to kiss a bruise on Tris' torso. He kept his hands still on her hips and continued placing soft open-mouth kisses on each patch of bruising and on her belly button.

"I'd like to lick my way up that tattoo on your side," he said, his voice tinged with lust, "but I think I'd better stop."

Tris shivered, and she crossed her arms over her chest. Eric stood up and offered her a hand getting into the bath.

"The water smells good," Tris said in a dreamy voice as she relaxed in the warmth.

"Lavender Epsom salt," Eric explained. "It's good for muscle soreness."

"Mmm," Tris moaned.

"Do you, um, should I leave?" Eric asked.

"No," Tris said, her eyes popping open. "I mean, I'm fine if you have things to do or whatever, but I do like having you here."

"I like being here," Eric said as he brushed a damp strand of hair off Tris' face.

They sat quietly for a few minutes, the gentle splash of the bathwater the only sound in the house.

"The number you asked about earlier is eight," Eric said quietly. "I've slept with eight women."

Tris was as still as could be while she waited to see if he would say anything else. Eight women by the age of twenty-one seemed like a lot to her. She believed that sex and love should go together, and she had never been in love before Eric. She wondered how many of the eight he had been in love with.

"Are you upset?" he asked.

"To some people, eight is a lot," she said. "For others, it's a slow weekend. I'm not sure how I feel about it. It gives me a lot of questions, though."

"Like what?" Eric prompted.

"Things you might think are dumb. Things that are none of my business. Things I'm not sure I actually want to know the answers to."

"You can ask me anything," Eric said gently. "I won't laugh or get mad."

"Do you, um, do you have other children?" Tris asked.

"No," Eric assured her. "There were no other pregnancies, either. No abortions, miscarriages, or other children."

Tris only nodded in response, but Eric could see the thoughts churning in her mind as she chewed on her lip and looked anywhere but at his face.

"Are you uncomfortable?" he asked. "Should I leave now?"

Tris shook her head. "Are you, like, clean? Have you been tested?"

"I've always been good about using protection," Eric said.

"But, Ava," Tris interrupted.

"Condoms aren't perfect," Eric said. "One in a thousand fail, and that's without user error."

"A thousand!" Tris exclaimed, sitting upright.

"No, no, no," Eric said, trying to halt Tris' panic. "It's not like you hit time one thousand and that one fails. More like out of every thousand, one will fail. It could be the first one, or the tenth, or the seven hundredth."

"Seven hundred," Tris mumbled.

"No, Duchess. I can see you freaking out in your head, so let me be blunt. I lost my virginity the summer before ninth grade. I was fourteen and stupid. My friend's cousin was visiting for the summer. She was sixteen and I thought she was cool. We were in my friend's treehouse. It was over way too quick, which was embarrassing. She laughed at me, so I avoided her for the rest of the summer.

"The second girl was a high school girlfriend. We had sex a couple times - the stereotypical back-seat-of-the-car or parents-are-out-of-town hookups. She moved after tenth grade, and we had nothing in common anyway, so we broke up.

"Girl three was a summer romance thing. We met on vacation. We texted and emailed a few times that fall, but we didn't really know each other.

"After her came some party hookups during my first year of college. I was eighteen or nineteen and I had a fake ID. Some of my friends were in a frat, and we partied too much.

"The seventh girl was a college girlfriend. We were only together for a few months.

"The last one was Melinda. We got together right before my parents died. She was there for me when I needed someone. She was a former addict, and she needed me, too. We started drifting apart when she started hanging out with her old friends again.

"Last spring we had too much fun one night and got careless. About a month later she found out she was pregnant. She didn't tell me until we were at a Fourth of July barbecue and she wasn't drinking. When I asked why she wasn't drinking, she caused a big scene and yelled at me in front of our friends. I didn't see her for a few weeks after that.

"Factions offered me the student teaching spot, and I started in August. Melinda came back, and I tried to support her. She kept pushing me away. One day she would talk about moving in together, and the next day she would talk about having an abortion. I never knew which Melinda I was going to get from day-to-day. She was unstable. Then in October, she announced that she was done with me, and she was gone. You know the rest."

Tris nodded mutely, absorbing everything Eric said.

"So eight different women," she said. Eric nodded. "And not a thousand different times."

"Probably not even a hundred," Eric said.

"But have you been tested?" Tris returned to the original question.

"Yes," he assured her. "I've been tested, and I'm clean."

The bath water was getting cool by this point, so Tris asked to get out. Eric got her a fluffy towel and helped her out of the tub. He wrapped her up and held her close to his body. She was quiet, and it worried him.

"Are you tired?" he asked, but Tris just shrugged.

He stood there waiting for Tris to make a move or say something, holding her as long as he could. Their relationship was brand new, and Eric worried that his sexual past was one piece of baggage too much.

The longer they stood there, the more he convinced himself that he wasn't good enough for Tris. She was so pure and innocent. She was beautiful and smart. She had a great family behind her, and a limitless future in front of her. In Eric's mind, she should be some successful, adoring man's one and only, not a high school trainer's ninth lover and the step-mom to his baby.

I need to get out of this wet bathing suit," Tris said, but she didn't move.

Eric nodded, then walked her into the master bedroom. "You get dressed," he said. "I'll get you some water, Tylenol, and an ice pack."

Tris nodded and began digging through her bag. Once she was changed, she took her swimming suit into the bathroom and hung it up. She brushed out her long hair and put it back in a loose braid for the night. She looked at all the photos that Eric had taped to the frame of his large family portrait. She waited and waited, but Eric didn't return.

Eric's absence worried Tris. She knew that he was feeling bad about his past. She wanted to comfort him, but she wasn't sure what to say. She couldn't say that it didn't matter, because it did. She couldn't say that she didn't care who he had been with or what he had done, because she did. She worried about Eric's past because she felt inadequate in the face of his experience. She had no idea what kind of expectations he had or if she could live up to them. She didn't know what kind of attachment or affections he held onto in his memory. She didn't know what those other women had looked like, or how she was supposed to keep the attention of a man who had a variety of experiences and partners to compare her to.

Tris crept quietly down the stairs and into the living room. She saw Eric in the kitchen, standing by the sink. His hands gripped the countertop, and his back was tense, but his head hung.

She tiptoed across the room until she was standing behind him, then placed a small hand on his broad back. "I understand if you don't want to settle for me," Tris said softly. "I know I'm plain, and inexperienced, and not very exciting."

Hearing Tris' self-doubt, Eric turned to face her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "You don't understand," he said urgently. "You deserve someone as pure and good as you are, not a damaged nobody like me. Your life is just beginning; I shouldn't be weighing you down with my baggage."

"What are we doing?" Tris sighed, shaking her head. "I love you, and you said you love me t-"

"I do love you," Eric interrupted, his voice insistent.

"Then why are we looking for reasons to push each other away?"

Eric absorbed Tris' question for one second, then crashed his lips into hers in a searing kiss. Tris' hands wrapped around Eric's shoulders and her fingers wound into his hair as she pressed her chest into his. Eric's hands found purchase on Tris' hips, and when she moaned, he slid his tongue into her mouth.

"I love you so much it terrifies me," Eric admitted as he pulled away. "I'm afraid some day you'll wake up and realize that you deserve better. You have the power to break me, and I don't know how I would survive."

"You won't have to find out," Tris promised. "I'm yours as long as you'll have me."

"Let's get you to bed," Eric said, kissing Tris again.

"Only if you'll share the bed," she said. "You'll have to start wearing down all this innocence."

Eric laughed. "Duchess, I very much look forward to corrupting you, and worshiping every inch of your body, too. But tonight is just sleep."


	16. Chapter 16

Tris woke up the next morning to the familiar babble of Ava in the baby monitor. Ava was a happy baby, and Tris had missed waking up to her contented noises.

The other side of the bed was cold and empty, and Tris frowned. She listened for a moment and heard the sound of a treadmill running. She was disappointed to wake up without Eric. Sleeping beside him had been a thrilling new experience. Being in a strange place and unused to another person in the bed, Tris had woken several times during the night. The long afternoon nap probably hadn't helped, either. Each time she had woken, Tris had felt safe and comforted. Eric was a cuddler, and although he was careful of her injuries, he had kept her small body protected by his large one all night.

Tris stretched, and was pleased to realize that she felt a bit better. Her muscles were less sore, and the cream Eric applied to her bruises seemed to have helped. She made her way out of Eric's bed and to the nursery.

"Good morning, Sunshine!" Tris greeted Ava, who was sitting up in her crib. The baby let out a squeal, and Tris laughed. "I've missed our mornings together, too," she said.

Careful of her injuries, Tris picked up Ava by helping the seated baby to her feet, then leaning in for a hug and standing herself upright.

"There," she said. "I knew we could do it."

Tris carried Ava to the changing pad and got a fresh diaper on her. She dressed the baby in a cute black and yellow outfit with polka dotted pants and a flowered top, then carried her downstairs for a bottle and some cereal.

As Tris was spooning cereal past Ava's drooling grin, Eric came running down the stairs. "Tris!" he called.

"Uh oh," Tris said to the baby, "I think we're in trouble." Ava giggled in response, clearly not worried about her daddy's ire.

"You're not supposed to lift her," Eric scolded as he stalked into the kitchen.

"Relax, Warrior," Tris said. "I feel a lot better today. I think the muscle soreness was giving me more trouble than the bruising. All the rest and ice, the bath, and the cream worked wonders. And I was careful, I swear."

Eric came over to the table to kiss his girls. He was sweaty from his workout and dressed in black athletic pants and a Dauntless tank top.

"The way you look, I'm expecting to be ordered to run laps," Tris said.

"I'd rather watch you do yoga again," Eric growled, nearly making Tris choke on her coffee.

"I'm surprised you remember that," she replied shyly.

"Duchess, you would be ashamed of me if you knew how many times I've 'remembered' that," Eric said, making an air quotes gesture.

Tris blushed a deep scarlet and hid her face behind her coffee mug. When Eric turned to fill his own mug, she felt a rush of bravery. "Maybe I'll give you a private demonstration some time."

Eric groaned as he turned to look at Tris. Ava giggled from her highchair, getting their attention.

"Mommy is teasing me," Eric said to his daughter in a baby voice.

"Eric," Tris warned.

"Sorry," he said in a teasing voice that told Tris he wasn't really sorry. "I meant to say 'our duchess is teasing me.' Better?"

"Yes, thank you," Tris said as Eric kissed her again before heading upstairs to shower.

Once they were dressed and packed up for the day, Eric, Tris, and Ava made a stop at Lynn's house. Her graduation party was scheduled to begin at noon, and Tris' at two o'clock, then Rodriguez family had evening plans together before Lynn left for basic training on Monday morning. Tris had to get there right away if she wanted to see her friend before she left.

Uriah and Marlene were at the party with Uriah's mom, Zeke, and Shauna. Uri immediately went for Ava, trying to get the baby to giggle or reach for him. At first Ava just buried her face in Tris' shoulder, but as Tris played along, the baby warmed up to Uriah and even let him hold her.

Eric found Lynn, and congratulated his former student. He visited with her parents for a few minutes, as well.

"So you're the new Dauntless trainer," Lynn's dad said.

Eric nodded in agreement.

"My daughter speaks highly of you," Mr. Rodriguez continued. "She says that you and Tris Prior have hit it off as well."

"We have," Eric agreed, feeling defensive. "The Priors are an amazing family. They've done a lot for my daughter and I. Since I have no other family, they've been a godsend."

"I'm sure," Lynn's dad agreed.

Eric could feel the tension of the older man's unasked questions, but offered nothing more. _If he wants to be a gossipy old woman, he'll have to ask what he wants to know_, Eric thought to himself.

Tris soon made her way to Eric's side. Ava had been passed from Uriah, to Marlene, to Zeke, to Shauna, and eventually to Hana - each member of the Pedrad family demanding a turn with the happy, drooling infant. As long as Tris stayed nearby, Ava was content to be passed and held.

"I need to get home," Tris told Eric after she greeted Lynn's parents. "My party starts soon, and Mom may have things she needs us to do."

Eric and Tris said their farewells, gathered the baby, and climbed into the truck.

.

With ninety minutes until the party started, the Prior household was in chaos.

"Where have you been?" Natalie asked in a frazzled greeting when they walked in the door.

"Lynn's," Tris said. "She leaves in the morning, so I had to stop and say goodbye. We got held up trying to pry Ava away from the Pedrads."

"Hana does love babies," Natalie said of her long-time friend.

"What's not to like?" Caleb said as he breezed into the kitchen and snatched Ava out of Tris' arms. "Come see Uncle Caleb."

"Where's Dad?" Tris asked.

"David's here," Caleb said, wrinkling his nose. David Daniels was Andrew's campaign manager. He had come highly recommended by party insiders, but the Prior kids didn't like him. He gave off a sleazy vibe that fit his role as a "kingmaker" (his words). Between themselves, Tris and Caleb preferred to call him a "bullshit factory." But the man knew his stuff, and he knew _everyone_.

"What can we do to help?" Eric asked Natalie.

She sent Eric to the bakery to pick up Tris' cake, and Tris ran upstairs to do her hair and makeup while Caleb watched Ava and Natalie continued working on the food.

Caleb and Ava were in the family room when Andrew and David walked out of the den together. "There's Papa's girl!" Andrew greeted the baby.

"No way, old man," Caleb teased his dad. "It's Uncle Caleb time. I'm trying to get her to crawl for me like she did for Tris."

"Will you do that?" Andrew asked in a baby voice. "Will you come to Papa and Uncle Caleb?"

Ava squealed and wiggled, but made no move to go toward the men.

"Keep trying," Andrew said to Caleb. "Soon we won't be able to get her to hold still."

Addressing David, Andrew continued to speak. "I need to help my wife with the last-minute party preparations, but I like what you've brought me. You get started on that, and make sure you come back this afternoon for some cake."

He walked his campaign manager to the door. When he closed it, he turned to his wife and asked what she needed him to do.

Everything was ready by two o'clock, and the first guests arrived. Eric put Ava down for a nap in her crib in the guest room, and gave the baby monitor to Caleb. As a trainer, Eric needed to make an appearance at several grad parties that afternoon. Promising Tris he would be back as soon as possible, he left to get the visits out of the way while Ava napped.

The bruises on her torso were hidden by her clothes, and Tris did her best to cover the bruise on her cheek with some makeup, but there was no hiding the stitched up cut on her forehead. Several people at the open house asked Tris if she had been in an accident. She downplayed the incident, just admitting that it had happened at the after-graduation party. "You know how head wounds are," she said more than once. "They look worse than they are."

Andrew's sister Kathy came in from Indiana. The Pedrads arrived with Shauna and Marlene. Everyone asked about Ava, and Tris and her family explained that the little one was napping. Max and his wife stopped by, making the rounds of grad parties for his students. Christina and her parents came for a while, too. The house was a constant buzz of friends, family, and well-wishers from all parts of the Priors' life.

At the midpoint of the party, Tris went inside to use the restroom and check on Ava. As she stepped out of the sleeping baby's room she nearly bumped into David.

"Hello, Beatrice," the older man said, looking up and down Tris' body like a predator.

"David," Tris greeted warily. "Are you looking for something? The party is in the front yard, and I believe guests are being asked to use the main floor restroom."

"I'm not looking for a bathroom," David said. "I'm looking for you. I hear you have a baby now."

"You're mistaken," Tris said. "My boyfriend has a baby."

"Don't give me the act," David snarled. "Your dad calls her his granddaughter, your brother calls her his niece. You come back in the morning like a visitor. You're not fooling anyone."

"David," Tris said in a warning tone. "You are mistaken. We're all quite attached to Ava, but she is _not_ my child."

David rolled his eyes. "A teenage daughter having a baby with her teacher is quite scandalous. This could be problematic for your father's campaign. I'm willing to work a little of my… magic," he said, running a finger down Tris' bare arm and making her shudder in revulsion. "But I want a little something in return."

"Excuse me?" Tris said, bumping into the door as she took a step back to get away from David's advances.

"You don't have to play innocent with me," David said. "You know you want me."

"I don't think my campaign will be needing your services anymore," came a voice from the top of the stairs.

Tris was relieved to see her father standing there. Andrew's usually affable face was furious and his fists clenched.

"Andrew!" David said in surprise. "Beatrice and I were just, uh,"

"There's no 'Beatrice and you' anything," Tris spat. "He was accusing me of sleeping with a teacher, and claimed that Ava was mine. He offered to keep it quiet if-"

"I know," Andrew interrupted, holding up the baby monitor. "I heard all of it. David, you're fired. I want you out of my home and far away from my family."

David brushed past Andrew. "You can't hide this," he spat. "This will ruin your campaign. You haven't heard the last of me!"

"Beatrice?" Andrew asked gently once David was gone. "Are you alright, Sweetpea?"

"I don't believe him!" she said. "What an asshole! He's going to screw up your campaign now, isn't he?"

"We'll figure it out," Andrew said. "My family is more important to me than any campaign or office. Plus, we have the truth on our side."

He moved to hug his daughter, who gratefully melted into his embrace. "I have to make some phone calls," Andrew said. "I think I'll stay here where I can keep an eye on Ava and anyone who wanders in from the party. You go visit with your friends."

Tris nodded, then hurried back to the front yard to circulate among her guests.

"Where is your father?" Natalie asked when she saw Tris.

"He fired David," Tris whispered to her mom. "We'll tell you about it later. But he's making some phone calls and keeping an eye on Ava for a few minutes."

"I need him to run get more bottled water," Natalie said. "We're running out already."

"Is Eric back?" Tris asked. When Natalie shook her head, Tris offered to call him to pick some up. She also suggested sending Caleb.

"He's kind of, um, busy," Natalie said, pointing across the garage to where her son was obviously flirting with Susan Black.

"I knew it!" Tris exclaimed in an excited whisper. "Let them be; I'll call Eric."

Eric was just leaving Nita's party, where he had run into Amar, his husband George, and Tori. Eric agreed to pick up some more bottled water and hurry back to the Priors'.

The moment Eric walked into the party, his arms filled with two cases of bottled water, he knew something had happened. Natalie looked stressed, Tris was making fake-polite small talk, and Andrew was nowhere to be seen.

"Eric!" Natalie greeted him with relief. She showed him where to put the waters and asked him to check on Andrew, who had been inside with Ava for over half an hour.

Eric hurried into the house and found Tris' father in the family room. Andrew was crouching on the floor a few feet from Ava, who was on her tummy. "Come on," Andrew was encouraging. "Come to Papa."

The baby squealed when she saw Eric walk up behind Andrew. Eric squatted a little behind Andrew, who hadn't seen him approach, and held out his hands toward his daughter. Ava reached out and dragged her body forward.

"Yay!" Andrew clapped, and Ava stopped scooting to clap along, making Andrew and Eric both laugh.

Andrew's head whipped around toward Eric, making the younger man laugh even harder.

Andrew groaned. "I thought she was crawling to me!"

"For what it's worth," Eric said, "that's the first time she tried to come to me, too. Natalie is looking for you. She was starting to get worried that you were taking so long."

Andrew sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. "I needed to cool down," he confessed. "I had to fire my campaign manager today."

Eric waited to see if Andrew wanted to elaborate. He knew Andrew was stressing, but he didn't want to push if it wasn't welcome.

Andrew took a deep breath and scooped up Ava as he stood. "Today is about Beatrice," he said. "We'll worry about the campaign tomorrow. Let's go party before my wife comes looking for me with a rolling pin!"

When the men walked outside, Eric saw Tris and her dad exchange knowing glances and a quick nod. He knew that what happened between Andrew and the man he had fired was something Tris knew about as well.

The return of Eric and the baby to the party started another round of introductions. Eric was introduced as Tris' boyfriend to her aunt Kathy, and he met the parents and siblings of many of his former students. Friends from church, who knew Ava from her time as the Priors' foster child, were thrilled to meet the baby's father.

Tori, Amar, and George arrived, and Tori immediately took possession of baby Ava. She had a soft spot for little ones, and had made friends with Eric's daughter when she did the painting on the nursery wall. While she bounced the babbling infant, Tori talked to Eric about some tattoos he wanted to have done over the summer. Amar and George offered to babysit so Eric and Tris could have a 'dinner and tattoos' date sometime.

Eric didn't know if Tris wanted any more ink, but he had something in mind. The phrase on Ava's nursery wall and Tris' ribs was also a well-known Latin expression. He planned to have Tori tattoo "dum vita est, spes est" on his ribs. The meaning and location would match Tris' tattoo, but the Latin translation and heavier, masculine font would be unique to him. Tori suggested adding Ava's birthdate in Roman numerals, and Eric loved the idea.

Eric also had an idea for a tattoo inspired by his feelings for Tris. He had looked online at the different types of crowns, and the titles they signified. He wanted to have a duchess' crown tattooed on his right shoulder blade, directly across from the piece on his left shoulder which honored his parents.

In his heart, Eric believed that he and Tris would be together for the rest of their lives. He had no problem tattooing his body to honor her and their relationship. But he also knew that she was young, and this was all new to her. He didn't want to scare her by doing something so permanent too soon.

Tris walked up to Tori, Eric, and the others, and greeted her former teachers and the tattoo shop owner. "I'm so glad you came," Tris said.

"Congratulations, top initiate," Tori said, hugging Tris awkwardly with Ava in her arms.

The baby fussed to go to Tris, and she took her from Tori. "Sorry," Tris said. "She hasn't seen me since she went down for her nap."

"Tris is her favorite person," Eric added, putting a warm hand on Tris' back.

"So I hear," Tori said. "Eric and I were just talking about his next tattoo, and George and Amar offered to watch Ava so the two of you can go out and Eric can get his new piece done. If you want another tattoo, we could do them back to back."

"I'd love more ink!" Tris enthused. "I have a few ideas, but I'll need to narrow it down."

The group chatted for a while before Tris got pulled away to greet more guests and introduce them to Ava and Eric.

.

The party wound down around dinner time. Eric, Caleb, and Andrew were cleaning up and folding tables and chairs to go back to the rental agency when Caleb spoke awkwardly. "So, uh, I was thinking about going out tonight, maybe hang out with some friends."

Eric wondered why Caleb sounded so nervous. Andrew and Natalie were very relaxed with their kids, and encouraged them to socialize.

"By 'friends' do you mean Susan Black?" Andrew asked.

Caleb blushed. "Maybe," he mumbled, causing Eric and Andrew to grin.

"Caleb, everyone knows you've had a crush on that girl for two years," Andrew said in a light tone. "And Ethan and Rachel Black have been friends of ours since before you were born. If you and Susan want to see each other, we're certainly not going to object."

"It's not like that," Caleb groaned. "We're just friends."

"But you'd like to change that?" Eric suggested, making Caleb blush again. "I'll take that as a yes. I know how you can change that."

"It doesn't involve protein shakes, does it?" Caleb asked, pointing to the table Eric was hefting as if it weighed nothing at all.

"No," Eric answered, deadpan.

"Well, what is it?" Caleb asked.

"I don't know if I want to tell you after that protein joke," Eric teased. "Protein is no joke."

"Come on, Meathead" Caleb whined.

Eric stepped toward Caleb and motioned for him to move in as well. Leaning toward Caleb's ear, Eric loudly said, "Grow a pair!"

Caleb startled and Eric and Andrew laughed.

"I saw the two of you this afternoon," Eric elaborated as he went back to moving tables. "Everyone in the room knew you liked her, and that she liked you, too. I know you don't want to ask and risk getting rejected, but if you don't ask, you're guaranteed to lose."

Caleb sighed, then smiled mischievously. "I don't know if I can trust the opinions of a man who would date _Beatrice_."

Andrew smiled at the natural banter between Eric and Caleb. He and Natalie spent many hours over the years talking about their children's futures and praying that Caleb and Beatrice would stay close and find partners who would fit in their family. Eric was a wonderful addition, and Andrew was grateful that if he got elected and he and Natalie started spending most of their time in DC, Tris would have Eric to look out for her.

Tris walked outside, gathering the lemonade server to take inside. Seeing her reminded Andrew of David and what had happened earlier.

"One thing before you make plans," Andrew warned his son. "We need to have a family meeting."

"Ava and I should get going before this family meeting," Eric said. "Is there anything else I can help with before we go?"

Tris and her father exchanged a look as Tris put her hand on Eric's back and rested her head on his shoulder.

"We'd like you to stay," Andrew said. "You're part of this family."

"I need you, Warrior," Tris said quietly, "and this affects you, too."


	17. Chapter 17

Andrew looked around the dining room. He sat at the head of the table with Natalie on his right. His sister, Kathy, sat on Natalie's other side. Caleb was at the far end of the table. Eric sat beside Caleb with Ava on his lap. Tris sat on Eric's other side, between her boyfriend and her dad.

"I feel so blessed and complete sitting here with all of you," Andrew said, squeezing his wife's hand. "Whatever happens in the future, family comes first. I don't know what's going to happen with my campaign, but I want you all to know that nothing is more important to me than the people in this room."

Tris took her father's free hand and gave him an encouraging smile.

"I fired David today," Andrew announced.

"His campaign manager," Natalie explained for Eric and Kathy.

"Yes!" Caleb cheered, raising his hand to high five his sister. Tris just shook her head at her brother.

Andrew and Tris looked at one another, and Andrew nodded at his daughter.

Tris sighed. "I came in to check on Ava this afternoon and David threatened me."

Eric's head popped up, his eyes darting between his girlfriend and her father.

"Well, that's not quite accurate," Tris said, unsure of how to explain. "It's more like he, um, propositioned me and threatened Dad's campaign."

"David believes that Ava is Tris' child," Andrew said. "He threatened to expose Tris' supposed teen pregnancy with her teacher's baby if she would, um, yeah… I heard him talking through the baby monitor and came in to confront him."

"What a jackass," Caleb snarled.

"What do you do now?" Kathy asked her brother.

"I've got a young man named Matthew on my team who's a real go-getter. He's been handling the ads, and he helped us find our social media person, too. I was thinking about putting him in charge and connecting him to an experienced guy I know who retired recently. With a little mentoring and insight from Jay, Matthew is capable of handling things."

"And David?" Caleb asked.

"David will probably start some rumors, maybe try to sell the story and make a buck," Andrew said. "But any half-assed journalist will ask a few questions and quickly learn that his story doesn't add up."

"Tris and Ava's story is really quite remarkable," Kathy said. "If Tris did an interview you could get ahead of David. Plus, who doesn't like a good hero story? Or a candidate that does something as selfless as taking in foster kids? Or a love story, for that matter? This is a huge opportunity if you're willing to take it."

"I don't want to use my kids like that," Andrew told his sister.

"But she's right," Tris said reluctantly.

"Nat, you're being awfully quiet," Andrew said, but Natalie just shook her head.

"Eric?" Andrew asked.

Eric looked down at the baby in his arms. He felt like he and Ava had brought a lot of trouble to Tris' family.

"I support whatever Tris wants," he said quietly.

"Tris?" Andrew asked.

Tris thought for a moment. "He can't win," she said firmly. "Dad is going to be an amazing senator. We can't lose that because some jerk thought he could get into my pants. I'll do whatever I can to help dad get elected. But I don't do anything that affects Eric and Ava without his total agreement. Make sure your new campaign guy knows that, too."

Andrew nodded as Ava began to fuss in Eric's arms. "I'll make a bottle," Tris said, hurrying to leave the room.

"Finals, the surprise polygraph, graduation, Peter, and now David," Natalie said, shaking her head. "This week has been a lot for Beatrice. She starts her new job tomorrow, too.

"Eric, hand Ava to me, please. I miss when my babies were young enough that I could fix all their problems and they forgot about it after a few minutes. If you and Tris need some time to talk, or if she just needs you, go ahead and take her home for the night."

Eric stood and handed the baby across the table to Natalie. Ava fussed; she was tired of being passed around and ready for her bottle and bedtime routine.

Eric hurried into the kitchen. There he found Tris standing by the cabinets on the far wall, a bottle of warm water and a can of baby formula on the countertop beside her. Anticipating tears, Eric approached her cautiously and wrapped his arms around her, his chest pressed to her back.

"No!" Tris suddenly yelled. She elbowed Eric in the gut and stomped on his foot, then spun around to face him, her hands up in a fighting stance.

"E... Eric?" she stammered. "You scared me! I'm so sorry!"

Eric smiled at Tris. "You were well-trained," he said. "Elbows, instep, ready to fight."

"It isn't funny," Tris spat out. "I could have hurt you."

"If you had a knife in your hand, maybe," the trainer conceded. "But I'm fine, Duchess. What's on your mind?"

Tris sighed angrily and went back to preparing Ava's bottle as she spoke. "I thought graduation was the end of our problems. Then Peter, now David? Can't I have one day without being threatened or victimized?"

She screwed the top on the baby's bottle and began shaking it vigorously. Eric watched her intently. He saw flashes of hurt and fear in her eyes, but the overwhelming expression on her face was anger. He wished that he could whisk her away to a tropical island or something - somewhere nobody knew them, where they could just be two young people in love. But that wasn't their life. Eric had Ava, and Tris started her new job the next day.

"Will you sleep with me tonight?" he asked instead.

"What?!" Tris exclaimed.

"No, not like that," Eric said. "I just meant, will you come home with me and stay over, like last night."

A wail from Ava interrupted their conversation, and Tris hurried back to the dining room with the bottle. Eric followed close behind her.

In the dining room Natalie was pacing with the cranky baby. Andrew had moved over to sit by his sister, and Caleb was nowhere to be seen. Andrew said he had gone to meet Susan.

Tris handed the bottle to her mother and sat back down at the table, directly across from her father and aunt. Eric followed her lead.

"I know you have a lot on your mind," Aunt Kathy said to Tris, "but this media thing won't wait. If we want to get ahead of David and shut him down, you need to tell your story as soon as possible. I was telling your dad that I have a friend on staff at Chicagoland Magazine. Their circulation isn't huge, but they have a solid online and social media following, and that's where things go viral these days. If Jessica can do an interview and get your story out there, it might lead to other interviews and things, too. That would be free publicity for the campaign."

Tris and Eric agreed to think about it, and Kathy said that she would check in with her friend.

Ava fell asleep in Natalie's arms. Tris and Kathy got out party leftovers for everyone to snack on, and Tris opened all the cards and gifts from her graduation party.

Eric eventually convinced the doting grandmother to let him have his daughter back, and he packed up Ava's things to take her home. He was disappointed that Tris decided to stay home with her parents, but he understood. It had been a long and emotional couple of days for his duchess, and she needed to rest. Besides, her aunt was visiting for the night, and Eric knew Tris was feeling guilty about being away so much while her family handled all the preparations for her graduation party.

Tris walked Eric to the door, and he set down the car seat carrier with his sleeping daughter in it so he could hold Tris before he left.

"I love you," Eric said, pressing his lips to Tris' forehead.

Tris heard anxiety and uncertainty in the declaration. She knew Eric was worried about her, and that he had wanted her to come home with him and Ava that night.

"I love you too, Warrior," she said, trying to impart confidence in Eric.

"I'm leaving my phone on all night. You can call or text me if you need anything. Even if you just want to talk. Midnight, three AM, doesn't matter. I'm here for you." Eric said, his eyes intense and desperate.

"I'm fine," Tris insisted. "And I love you. I'll call or text in the morning."

.

On Monday morning, Tris went for a jog, then helped her mom put serving items back into storage in the attic. She located the stored exersaucer, and brought it down and cleaned it for Ava to try on her next visit, then sent a text to Eric.

**T: Good morning, handsome**

**E: Good morning, beautiful. I wish I could say that to you in person instead of by text.**

**T: How is my baby this morning?**

**E: (picture of smiling Ava in her highchair)**

**T: Aww. Tell her I found the exersaucer and cleaned it up. She can try it next time she's here.**

**E: I passed along the message. She said Pbbbffft, or something like that.**

**T: I understand completely.**

**E: So what are you up to this morning?**

**T: Went running. Helping mom. Kathy is leaving soon.**

**E: Jealous. I miss running outside.**

**T: ?**

**E: I can't leave Ava at home, and she can't keep up with my pace.**

**T: Funny.**

**E: When do you work today?**

**T: 1-5. I'm doing the whole paperwork and orientation thing, so they want me there between meal rushes.**

**E: Come for dinner after?**

**T: I'll check with Mom, but I'd like that.**

The bruise on Tris' cheek was fading, her lip was back to normal, and the cut on her forehead was looking less angry. When her aunt left to go back to Indiana, Tris put a little concealer on the bruise and ran to the store for some thank you notes and a bottle of the shampoo she liked.

Realizing that she would be spending more and more time at Eric's, Tris grabbed a second bottle of shampoo, plus body wash, conditioner, and deodorant. She threw razors, toothbrushes, a new hairbrush, and some hair elastics in her cart as well. She didn't want to presume that she was going to be at Eric's a lot, but he _had_ offered her the use of his gym equipment, so she thought a few shower supplies wouldn't imply too much.

Tris walked through the baby department of the store. She couldn't help herself, every time she shopped she had Ava on her mind. She loved all the tiny clothes, and the cute little infant accessories. As she walked through the aisles, Tris got an idea for a surprise.

.

Tris' new job was at a place called Flapjacks. The cute little cafe featured a coffee bar, and specialized in all-day breakfast, but there were also some soups and sandwiches on the menu. It was situated in a quaint neighborhood of upscale shops and pedestrian traffic, between a boutique clothing store called Butterfly Hill and a bakery called Popovers.

The cafe's owner, Jim, had instructed Tris to wear jeans, a black top, and comfortable shoes for her first day of work, and to bring all her necessary documents.

Tris arrived a few minutes early and watched the hive of activity that was Flapjacks. A girl at the counter took orders while a male employee made coffee drinks. Tris could see a cook through the kitchen pass-through window. He passed dishes of giant fluffy pancakes, waffles, french toast, and sandwiches through the window to another employee, who delivered the food to patrons waiting at tables.

The staff were all wearing pants or capris, black shirts, and grey aprons. Tris recognized the boy making coffee drinks. His name was James, and he had graduated with her, but through the Amity program. When he looked up and saw Tris, he smiled broadly.

"Tell Jim that Dauntless is here," he called into the kitchen.

Tris smiled and stepped forward. "I didn't know you worked here," she said to James.

"Since I was sixteen," he answered. "Nearly two years now. This is Katie on the register, and Sarah is the runner today. Gary is in the kitchen, you'll meet him in a minute. Sarah and Katie are factionless. Gary is Jim's brother. I was the only one from Factions until you showed up. Everyone, this is Tris Prior. She graduated with me, but she went through the Dauntless program."

"So you could kick our asses?" Katie asked teasingly.

James laughed. "She could pin you to the wall with throwing knives, and you wouldn't even know what hit you. I saw a demonstration once. She's that good."

Tris laughed too. She remembered the demonstration James was talking about. As part of homecoming week, Factions had one day to celebrate each of the factions. On that day, all the school's students wore some token of the highlighted faction's colors, and the day ended with a pep rally instead of homeroom. Each faction was highlighted on their specific day. On Monday they had all worn some black and white, an easy day for the already black-clad Dauntless, and the primarily-Candor debate team had been featured. On Tuesday they had all worn grey, and spent the last hour of the day sorting donations for a food bank. Wednesday had featured music, art, and dance performances, and everyone wore red or yellow. Thursday was the day to wear blue, and the rally featured another tradition at Factions, the "Stump the Erudite" trivia game. On Friday everyone wore black, and Dauntless students performed some of their most daring tricks for the students to watch. Tris had participated in gymnastic tumbling as well as the knife-throwing demonstration.

Tris could tell that she was going to get along well with Sarah, Katie, and James. She hoped the rest of the Flapjacks staff was as fun and welcoming.

Jim had Tris fill out the requisite paperwork, and went over scheduling with her. He showed her how to request days off, and where to leave her purse and things in the employee locker room. He proudly explained to Tris that all of their coffee was fair-trade produced, and the eggs and dairy products they used all came from local farms and animals that were raised without artificial hormones or unnecessary antibiotics.

"I like to say that we're not just flipping pancakes here," Jim told Tris. "This is real food made by real people, and all the people and animals are treated right along the way."

James demonstrated the commercial cappuccino machine for her, and Katie talked her through using the register where they rang up customers' purchases. The register also sent the orders to a display in the kitchen so the cook would know what to make. Since Tris was hired to work in the front of the store, she didn't get trained on the kitchen, but Gary did talk to her a little about what kinds of substitutions a customer can and cannot make.

For the last hour of her shift, Tris worked on making coffee drinks and smoothies. The day was warm, so she got a lot of practice with the commercial blenders. New staff came in at four o'clock to replace James and Sarah, so Tris got to meet Karlie, Trevor, and Sasha as well.

When she clocked out at five, Tris' mind was filled with new information. She really liked her new coworkers, and was excited to go to work again on Tuesday morning, but she was even more excited about the surprise she had for Eric and Ava.

.

Tris went straight from Flapjacks to Eric's house. When she arrived, she backed up his driveway and opened the trunk of her car. She lugged the heavy box out of her vehicle and left it by the closed garage door, then walked around to the front entrance with her arms full of shopping bags. She struggled to ring the doorbell with her hands full, but managed after a few tries.

"Who is it?" Eric asked from inside in a falsely feminine voice.

"Housekeeping," Tris teased.

"I didn't order a stripper-gram," Eric teased back.

"Warrior, if you don't open the door I'm leaving. My hands are full, and this stuff is heavy!"

The door flew open and Eric reached apologetically for one of the bags Tris was carrying. "Sorry, Babe," he said. "I didn't know. Are you moving in or something?"

"You wish," Tris said.

"Indeed I do," Eric replied, leaning down to peck her on the lips.

Tris rolled her eyes. "We've been dating for what, two days now? You already want me to move in?"

"I've wanted you here with me for a long time," Eric said.

Sensing her hesitation, he changed the subject. "I have a surprise for you," he offered.

"I have a surprise for you, too," Tris said.

"Is it in these bags?" Eric asked, poking through the packages he had set on the kitchen counter.

"Nope," Tris said. "Go open the garage door."

Eric gave Tris a skeptical look but walked through the mudroom and into the garage. Tris crossed to the living room and picked up Ava, who was playing with her toys.

"Babe?" Eric called from the garage. "What is this?"

"You can read," Tris called back to him. "I got you a jogging stroller. So we can run together."

"You can't be serious!" Eric said incredulously. "You just bought this for me? Like on a whim?"

Tris shrugged. "I wanted to," she said. "There's also a sun hat, some baby sunblock, swim diapers, and the world's cutest infant bikini in the bags. I'm getting us ready for summer."

"You spent your own money on all that stuff for Ava?" Eric asked, still stunned.

"I just got a whole bunch of money for graduation," Tris said.

"That's for college," Eric argued.

"I have a scholarship and a job," Tris reminded him. "I want to spend some of my graduation money on fun things. Right now that means swimming and jogging with the world's cutest baby and the world's cutest baby daddy."

Eric huffed. "I can afford whatever she needs."

"Oh Warrior," Tris said, hurrying across the kitchen. With Ava in one arm, Tris hugged Eric with the other. "This has nothing to do with your finances or how you're doing as a father. Ava has everything she needs, and I know that you're capable of providing for her as she grows. I just wanted to surprise you with some things that would be fun for all of us."

Eric sighed. "I understand," he said. "I'm just feeling kind of insecure. I was at the grocery store this morning and some busybody said that I was too young to have a baby, and that she would wager good money that I have no idea what I'm doing."

"What a b-" Tris stopped herself before she swore. "People need to mind their own business. One look at Ava and you know she's healthy and happy. Everything else is nobody's business but your own. Can you believe the nerve of someone just saying crap like that to a total stranger?"

"She wasn't talking to me, and she didn't mean for me to hear her, I'm sure," Eric replied.

"Still," Tris argued. "You've finished college, you own your own home, and you have a steady job. She has no idea what she's talking about. You and I know better; you shouldn't let it bother you."

"I know," Eric said, stepping out of Tris' embrace to put a covered casserole dish into the oven. "I guess I let it bother me because I'm afraid I don't know what I'm doing. Yes, I can change diapers and afford to buy formula. I know how to do Ava's bedtime routine and how to keep her safe. But do I really know how to be a dad? How do I potty train her? How do I pick a school for her, or a daycare? Is she socialized enough? Am I too lenient? Too tough? What about boys? Damn it, Tris, she's going to get her period some day! How do I deal with that?!"

Tris tried not to laugh at Eric as he got himself all worked up. Eric's face softened when he saw the smirk that Tris was trying to hide. "I'm being ridiculous, aren't I?" he asked.

Tris nodded. Ava grabbed Tris' ponytail, looking for attention. "I think Daddy needs a nap," Tris said to the baby.

"Or a yoga demonstration," Eric growled, making Tris gasp and blush.

Over dinner the young couple discussed introducing Ava to baby food. The little one loved to eat, and already showed an interest in whatever foods the adults were having, but so far had consumed only bottles, infant cereal, and a taste of ice cream courtesy of bad influence Uncle Caleb. They talked about when to try vegetables and what to start with. Tris showed Eric some videos of babies' reaction faces to new foods, and they laughed together as they ate.

When they were done eating and the kitchen was cleaned up, Tris and Eric did Ava's bedtime routine together. Tris sat on Eric's lap in the nursery rocker and read a children's book to the baby while Eric fed her. Ava was asleep on her daddy's arm when Tris finished the story. For a while Eric just sat with one of his precious girls in each arm and gently rocked them back and forth. Tris nuzzled into Eric's side, periodically kissing his neck and the underside of his jaw, while she watched the baby sleep.

"This is one of the most precious moments of my life," Eric whispered to Tris. "Having both of you here with me - safe and comfortable - it's more than I could ask for. I love you, Duchess."

"I love you too, Warrior," Tris whispered.

When Eric and Tris finally put Ava in her crib for the night, they went back downstairs and curled up together on the couch. They watched some television, talked about Andrew's campaign and the possibility of doing an interview, and spent a lot of time kissing and holding one another. Eric wanted Tris to stay overnight, but again she insisted on going home.

"I love you," she said nervously, her gaze dropping to the floor as she played with her hands in her lap, "but you know this is all new to me. I'm afraid of moving too fast. I… I feel so stupid. I mean, you have a baby we're pretty much raising together. But you have this past experience, and expectations, and I… don't. It just stresses me out sometimes because I don't know if I'm ready for sex. I'm sorry."

Eric lifted Tris' chin gently. "You have nothing to be sorry about. I love you. That means I care about you and I want you to feel safe and confidant. As much as I would like to sleep with you in my arms, it's okay that you want to go home. It's okay that you're not ready. I'm not going to stop loving you. We move at your pace, I promise."

Tris smiled shyly, and Eric gave her a reassuring hug, then reminded her that he had a surprise.

"What is it?" Tris asked, her smile growing.

"It's nothing big," Eric cautioned. He reached into his pocket and handed Tris a brass key. "This is a key to my house. If you want to pop over, come on in. If you're with Ava, you can come and go as you please. If you get lonely in the night, come crawl in bed with me - no strings attached, I promise."

Tris smiled at Eric and kissed him on the cheek.

"My home is yours," Eric said as he kissed Tris goodnight.


	18. Chapter 18

As May turned to June, Eric and Tris established a comfortable routine. Tris went running most mornings, and Eric often joined her with Ava in the jogging stroller. If they couldn't run because of bad weather or other obligations, they texted back and forth about their plans and what cute things Ava was doing.

Eric was off for the summer, and Tris learned that he had plenty of savings, thanks to his parents' estate. Because of this, he was free to spend time with his daughter and girlfriend, and didn't have to work over the school break. He accepted Max's offer of another year at Factions High School and the position of head coach for the hockey team.

Tris enjoyed her job at Flapjacks. Her coworkers were fun, and she got to know some of the regulars. She worked mostly late mornings and into the afternoon hours, covering the lunch rush and customers who needed an afternoon caffeine jolt. Eric and Ava started coming in now and then, and Tris loved showing off the little one and her handsome boyfriend.

Most evenings Tris went from work to Eric's house. There she shared dinner with her two favorite people and helped Eric get Ava to bed. Once the little girl was asleep, the couple had the rest of the evening to themselves. They often kept it simple and lounged around watching television, talking, and making out. A few times they invited friends over. They worked together to care for the house, too, and made plans for small projects that would make it more homey and personal.

As the physical aspect of their relationship developed, Eric continued to hope that Tris would spend the night with him and sleep in his arms again. He didn't push her beyond the occasional suggestion, but she still wasn't ready to take that step.

.

Eric and Tris met with Andrew and his new campaign manager, Matthew, and agreed to do an interview with Chicagoland Magazine. There were already rumors about Tris, Ava, and Eric circulating in their town and in political circles around the state. Though no outright accusations had been made, the campaign team feared that the rumors were eroding Andrew's reputation. With their permission, Matthew arranged an interview and photoshoot for the young couple.

At first the magazine just planned on giving the story part of a page with one or two photos, which was enough for the campaign to be satisfied. But as they learned more about Ava's incredible beginning and the miracle of her discovery and reunion with her father, the magazine decided to bump some smaller features and do a more in-depth story on Tris, Eric, and Ava.

Tris was nervous about the interview. She worried about things like what they should wear for the photoshoot and what kind of questions they would have to answer. Matthew and the press team for Andrew's campaign were invaluable. They suggested a color scheme of aqua, soft coral, and denim/chambray for the photoshoot since it was nice and summery. Eric had a short-sleeved button-down chambray shirt that looked good on his muscular frame. Tris bought him a pair of dusty coral shorts and sandals to go with it. She found a few outfits for Ava, including an aqua-colored sundress with a coral and white flowers, and a chambray one-piece short outfit. Tris bought herself a pair of aqua cropped jeggings that matched Ava's dress. She planned to pair them with a white tank and a pair of sandals.

On the day of the shoot, Tris was a nervous wreck. She worried mostly about keeping Ava on schedule, and what the interview meant for Andrew's campaign. She also worried that the clothes she picked for the three of them were too matchy and made them look too much like a family.

That morning, Andrew and Matthew drove with Tris, Eric, and Ava to the converted warehouse where the photoshoot and interview would take place. The magazine had gone all out once they got excited about the story, and Tris had her hair and makeup professionally done. Eric was dusted with powder foundation, too, much to his annoyance. Tris showed the shoot's stylist the clothes she had chosen, and the assistant agreed with her choices, including both of Ava's outfits.

The photographer, a large man with a long beard and many tattoos, was introduced as Bud. He looked like he belonged in a biker bar, but quickly proved to be funny and sweet. Bud took pictures of Eric, Tris, and Ava individually and together. He took so many images and in such a random way that Tris never knew if she was coming or going. One minute he was photographing Tris with the baby. The next minute he wanted a shot of just Ava in an entirely different part of the studio. Then it would be back to the first backdrop for a picture of all three of them.

As he took their pictures, Bud got them to tell their story. He choked up when Tris told him about finding the abandoned infant on Christmas. He chuckled as Eric explained the irony of Natalie handing him his own daughter as a source of comfort over the child he believed he'd lost. His jaw clenched in anger when Andrew told how Tris had suffered at the hands of Peter and David because they didn't understand.

"What an incredible story," Bud said as he packed up his equipment.

"Thank you for taking the photos," Eric said. "We've never had professional pictures taken of Ava. I wasn't sure how she would do, but you were great with her."

"Is there any way we could see the pictures?" Tris asked hesitantly. "I know a few of them will be in the magazine, but I'd love to see more of them and maybe buy some prints from you if that's possible. Ava's baby pictures are all cell phone camera shots."

Eric saw Tris biting her lip and knew she was feeling guilty for not getting professional photos of the baby in her first months of her life.

"That's not a problem," Bud said. "My assistant and I will work on editing, and I'll get in touch. Once the magazine is printed there's no reason you can't get some of the pictures."

"Thank you," Tris said brightly, genuine relief on her face.

It was getting close to Ava's lunch time, which could get quite messy. Tris pulled out a bib, a towel, and the baby food while Eric strapped his daughter into her carrier. Ava resisted, wiggling and pulling as she whined.

"Ava," Tris said in a sing-song voice, holding up the container of pureed peas for the baby to see. Ava reached excitedly toward the food as Eric attached her bib.

"When do you think the reporter will get here?" Eric asked Matthew.

"Oh, I'm already here," came a voice out of the photography crew packing up equipment. "I just thought I'd help Bud so I don't interrupt Ava's lunch."

"Mmm," Ava said, snacking her lips over a bite.

"I wish I was that excited about peas," Andrew said, laughing.

A woman in jeans and a white button-down walked over and introduced herself. "I'm Jessica Trumble," she said.

"You look familiar," Andrew said, trying to place the writer as he greeted her with a handshake.

"Kathy and I were sorority sisters in college," she said. "I believe I met you and your wife at our graduation."

"Of course!" Andrew said. "That's been a few years; I don't think Caleb and Beatrice were even born then."

"Time flies," the reporter said, and Andrew nodded in agreement.

Andrew introduced the others, and Jessica got right to business while Tris fed Ava then cleaned her up.

"First of all," Jessica said, "I agree with Bud. You have an incredible story. I was here during your photoshoot and took notes while you were talking. Bud and I have worked together for years, and we've developed a bit of a system. He's a big teddy bear, so he gets people to relax and talk, which gets him better pictures while it gets me a more authentic, candid story. Then I swoop in for follow-up questions and anything left out of your conversation. He edits the pictures, I write the words, and it goes to the editors for layout. We all get final approval on the finished story, and it's off to print."

"So what follow-up questions do you have?" Eric asked, and the interview commenced.

.

A few days after the interview, Tris was leaving Flapjacks and noticed she had a missed call from Matthew. She put the phone on speaker and listened to the message as she drove to Eric's.

"Hey Tris," the message began. "This is Matthew Jensen. We received a call from one of the local news stations. Apparently they have the same parent company, and someone at Chicagoland told them about the piece they're doing on you, Eric, and Ava. The news team wants to do a feature about it next week when the magazine comes out. This would draw a lot of positive attention to the campaign. I'd also like you guys to make some public appearances with your dad - parades, county fairs, that kind of thing. Anyway, the news team wants to schedule ASAP so they can tape the feature before it airs. Talk to Eric, then give me a call and let me know what you think."

.

Eric's garage door was open when Tris arrived, so she parked next to his truck and walked in through the mudroom. The new baby jumper that Eric had bought for Ava was hanging in the doorway between the mudroom and kitchen, and she was sitting in it when Tris opened the door. Hearing the noise, the baby looked over her shoulder. She let out a happy but piercing scream when she saw Tris. Eric was in the pantry at that moment, and he came running with a panicked look on his face.

Tris laughed at the chaos and noise. Life with Eric and Ava was high-energy, and Tris wouldn't have it any other way. She set down her bag and greeted Eric with a kiss, then lifted Ava out of the jumper.

"What are you girls doing tonight?" Eric asked. He and the other Dauntless trainers had a dinner scheduled to discuss the past school year in preparation for the coming year, and Tris was going to stay with Ava.

"None of your business," Tris said teasingly. "It's girls night, isn't it, Sunshine?" Tris tickled Ava's belly, making her laugh. Securing the baby in her highchair, Tris kicked Eric out of the kitchen so he could get ready while she fed Ava.

"How late will you be?" Tris asked Eric when he came back dressed to leave.

"I don't know," he replied. "I can't see this going past nine o'clock. That's more than enough time to eat pizza and go over what worked and what didn't. Will you stay tonight so we can hang out? I can sleep on the couch if you want."

"I'll stick around for a while if you don't get home too late," Tris said. "But I don't know about overnight. I didn't bring anything."

"Whatever you decide," Eric concluded as he leaned over to kiss Ava and then Tris. "I'll see you in a few hours."

Once Eric was gone and dinner was cleaned up, Tris stripped the baby down to her diaper and shirt in preparation for the night's activity, a Fathers' Day gift for Eric and Andrew. Tris had brought an assortment of water-based paint colors, a brush, and two canvas boards for a craft.

She laid newspaper and a canvas on the floor under Ava's jumper and secured her in her seat, then applied an assortment of paint colors to the baby's feet. The cold paint and fuzzy brush tickled Ava, making her giggle. As she bounced in her jumper, Ava left splotches of color on the canvas. Tris moved the board periodically and added more paint to the baby's feet when needed. Soon they had modern art masterpieces ready for Fathers Day.

Tris wiped Ava's feet with a wet rag, then carried the baby straight to the bath. Once Ava was clean and dressed for bed, Tris brought her down to the living room so she could clean up the newspaper and paint mess and prepare the bedtime bottle.

While she was sitting in the nursery rocker feeding Ava, Tris got a text from Eric.

**E: We're almost done, but they're talking about getting drinks after. Is that okay with you?**

**T: I don't mind. Just putting Ava to bed.**

**E: Love you, D**

**T: Love you too, W**

Tris finished Ava's feeding and tucked her in for the night. _Looks like I have some time on my hands,_ she thought to herself. She moved the nearly dry paintings out to her car where Eric wouldn't see them, locked up the house, and washed the few dishes that were sitting in the sink.

Two hours later, Tris had not heard from Eric again. She resisted texting him. She didn't want to be one of those nagging girlfriends who had to know where her man was at all times. Instead, she tried to distract herself with television and her phone.

Just before eleven o'clock, Tris texted her parents so they wouldn't worry about her.

**T: E isn't home yet. He and the other trainers went out after their meeting. Not sure when he'll be back.**

**N: Thank you for letting me know. I'll lock up and you can let yourself in whenever. Stay over there if it gets too late, I don't want you on the road with the drunks.**

**T: OK. Love you.**

**N: Love you too**

By midnight Tris was getting worried, so she sent Eric a quick text.

**T: Sorry to interrupt the fun, but do you know what time you might get back?**

Eric didn't reply, and Tris' anxiety grew. _What if he was in an accident?_ she thought to herself. _What if he had too much to drink and went home with another woman or drove drunk?_

She paced the living room, peeking out the window beside the front door every few minutes.

Just after one AM, Tris received a text from Eric's number.

**E's number: Tris, this is George. Apparently it's Max's birthday and his wife is out of town, so the trainers took him out. They got pretty drunk. Tori called me. I just got to the bar. I'm taking everyone home. I'll be there with Eric in a little bit. Hope I didn't wake you.**

**T: Thank you, George.**

Tris felt a mixture of strong emotions. She was relieved that Eric was okay and that he had a safe ride home. She knew that being a single dad at twenty-one had been a shock, and that it limited Eric's social life. She understood that he would enjoy a night out with his colleagues. But she was also angry that Eric had too much to drink, and hurt that he left her there all night like a babysitter without even checking in.

When she saw the lights of George's SUV turn into Eric's driveway, Tris hurried to open the door. George parked the car and removed the keys before helping Eric out of the vehicle and walking him inside.

"Tris!" Eric greeted her loudly.

"Shhh," she warned him, "Ava is sleeping."

"Can't wake the baby," he said, only slightly quieter, as he patted Tris on the cheek.

"They were doing shots," George said, clearly irritated. "They were definitely over-served, but at least none of them drove. I had to take my keys with me after Tori tried to drive away when I was walking Max to his door. Will you be okay from here?"

Tris looked at Eric. She had no experience dealing with someone this drunk, but he seemed to be carrying his own weight, so she figured they would be alright.

"Try to get water into him," George directed. "It will help with the hangover. They're going to have a nasty hangover tomorrow. Sleep, water, Advil - got it? Oh, and keep a bucket by the bed; he might throw up. I'm going to have my hands full with Tori and Amar, but call me if you need anything."

Tris thanked George, then locked the front door after he left. She turned to look at Eric. His eyes were bleary, and he smelled awful, but he looked fine otherwise.

"I love you, Trissy," Eric said.

"Eric," Tris said in exasperation. "You know I don't like being called 'Trissy.'"

"Uh oh," Eric said, swaying on his feet. "Looks like Trissy is getting pissy." The drunk man laughed as if that were the funniest joke he had ever heard. Tris rolled her eyes.

Eric reached for her and squeezed her breasts through her shirt. "Honk, honk," he said, then laughed again. "Don't be pissy, Trissy. Let's have some fun!"

"Let's get you a drink," she replied, pulling him toward the kitchen.

Eric stumbled along behind Tris. "That's a good idea," he slurred. "I've never had a drink with you. Are we having more tequila?"

"No," Tris said. "I have a different drink for you."

She handed him a glass of water, and he tossed it back like it was a shot.

"I'm drunk," he announced. "Couldn't even taste that. Pour me another."

Tris refilled Eric's cup, and he pounded that one as well.

"More!" he declared loudly.

Worried that he would make himself throw up, Tris didn't refill the glass. "Let's get you to bed," she said.

"I've been waiting for you to say that," Eric said as he followed Tris back to the stairway.

As she led the way up the stairs, Eric grabbed her butt and began kneading the flesh through her jeans. "You have the best ass," he slurred.

Tris reminded him that he needed to be quiet because the baby was sleeping. Eric nodded in agreement, but by the time she got him into the master bedroom he was at full-volume again.

"You're so beautiful," he said. "I want to do wicked things to your beautiful body."

"Eric," Tris warned as she became uncomfortable. She opened his dresser and pulled out a pair of sleep pants as he dropped heavily onto his bed. She unlaced his shoes and pried them off his feet. "You need to take your pants off," Tris said.

"I thought you'd never ask," Eric mumbled. "You're a cock tease; do you know that? I want you so bad, but you make me wait."

He made no effort to remove his pants, and since Tris was growing anxious with his drunken advances she decided not to push it by removing them herself. _If he wants to get drunk, he can sleep in jeans_, she thought. _It's his own damn fault._

She walked into the bathroom and came back with the empty garbage can, setting it by the bed. She placed a cup of water on the nightstand with two ibuprofen that she had found in the medicine cabinet.

"Your water and Advil are right here when you need them," she said, unsure if Eric was even understanding her. "There's also a trash can there if you're going to be sick and you can't make it to the bathroom. Do you need anything else?"

"You," Eric said, reaching out and grabbing Tris' thigh. He clumsily ran his big hand up the inside of her leg, and Tris quickly backed away.

She had never seen this side of Eric before - never seen this side of anyone. Her parents didn't drink beyond a glass of wine now and then. Tris knew that this wasn't really Eric, but she also knew the old phrase "drunk words are sober thoughts." She knew that Eric wanted more from their physical relationship. Apparently drunk Eric wasn't as patient as sober Eric.

Tris had no idea what Eric was capable of, or what would happen next. Would he sleep for the rest of the night and wake up hungover but fine? Would he get up again and go looking for her? She thought about her options. She couldn't leave - Ava was sleeping, and she needed at least one responsible adult in the house. Tris could take Ava and go back to her parents' house, or she could stay and hope that Eric would sleep.

She decided to take a pillow off Eric's bed and grab blankets from the linen closet to make herself a place to sleep in Ava's room. The nursery door didn't lock, but Tris laid out her sleeping spot on the floor just inside the door. If Eric tried to come looking for her, her body would block the door, and she could quickly grab Ava and escape through the bathroom and home gym.

Tris' imagination and anxiety wouldn't let her sleep. She thought about the movies and television dramas she had seen where drunks came roaring into a room - angry and ready to take what they wanted. She cried into the pillow that smelled like Eric's bed and worried about the future. She wouldn't stay with Eric if this is what he was like. But she had to be there for Ava. Tris shook with worry and cried until her exhausted body gave up and went to sleep.

.

Something was nudging her back. Tris groaned and tried to roll away from it, but the nudging started again. "Tris?" came a groggy voice.

Suddenly she was wide awake. "Go away!" she cried in terror.

"Tris?" the voice said. "It's Eric. Please don't yell. I have a headache. What's blocking the door?"

"I am," Tris replied angrily. "Go away."

"I don't understand what's going on," Eric said, his voice laced with exhaustion and pain. "Are you getting Ava?"

"I got her," Tris said, looking at the happy baby sitting awake in the crib.

"I'm going to go take a shower then," Eric said through the still-closed door, "I smell like tequila and bar."

Tris stayed by the door, blocking it with her body, until she heard the water running. As soon as she felt safe to do so, she hurried to the crib and grabbed Ava. The baby babbled her usual morning noises while Tris changed and dressed her as fast as shaking hands would allow.

She carried Ava downstairs and kept her close while she shook up a bottle and made some cereal. Eric came down while Tris was feeding the little one, and she trembled at the sight of him.

"What a night," Eric groaned as he poured a cup of coffee. "I haven't been that drunk in forever."

He leaned to give Tris a good morning kiss. She flinched, causing him to pull back. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Fine," Tris snapped. Ava banged on her tray, so Tris turned her attention back to the little one.

"Listen," Eric said guiltily. "I'm sorry I was out so late last night. We had our meeting and ate pizza, then we found out it's Max's birthday this weekend and his wife is out of town. Amar and Tori wanted to take him out so he wouldn't be alone. We went to that sports bar on Jefferson. The Cubs game was on late because they're playing in California, and we just got wrapped up in the game and doing shots, and I completely lost track of time. I'm sorry I didn't make it back to spend time with you. I hope I didn't wake you when I got in."

Tris stared at Eric, her mouth agape. "Do… Do you even remember how you got home?" she asked.

Eric thought about it for a minute. "I know I didn't drive," he said. "Somebody… Tori? No, she was drunker than all of us. She tried to drive me home while George was - George! He brought us home! Tori tried to steal his car while he was walking Max to his house, but she couldn't because he took his keys."

Tris nodded. "And then what?"

"I don't know," Eric said, shaking his head. "I woke you up, didn't I? I'm sorry."

"I wasn't asleep," Tris spat. "I was pacing around the house wondering if you were dead in a ditch somewhere or if you found another woman to go home with. Then when you finally showed up in the middle of the night you were a total asshole!"

Tris swiped angrily at the tears in her eyes and stood up from the table. "I'm going home now, Eric," she said. "Do you want me to take Ava so you can sleep more, or are you okay?"

"Tris!" Eric cried in alarm, putting a hand on her arm and making her flinch again. "What did I do? What happened? Don't go; let's talk about this!"

"No," she said firmly, prying his hand off her arm.


	19. Chapter 19

Tris cried the entire drive between Eric's house and hers. She was glad to see everyone's cars were gone when she got home, because she knew her emotions and her lack of sleep were written all over her puffy, red face.

After letting herself in the house, Tris checked that the garage door was closed and all the doors were locked before she went upstairs to her room. She dropped her bag on the floor, kicked off her shoes, and wiggled out of her jeans. Her phone was nearly dead, so she pulled it out of her purse. As she moved to put it on the charger, she saw that she had three new texts and a missed call from Eric.

**E: I don't know what happened last night, but I'm so sorry I scared you like that. I see that George texted you before he took me home.**

**E: Please talk to me.**

**E: At least let me know you got home safe.**

Tris replied tersely.

**T: I'm home.**

Eric's response came almost immediately.

**E: Can we talk?**

**E: At least tell me what I did. I don't understand what happened.**

Tris shut off her phone and didn't respond.

.

Tris woke in the early afternoon. Natalie was sitting on the edge of her bed, pushing the hair back from her daughter's forehead. "Are you not feeling well?" she asked gently.

"I'm fine," Tris said with a yawn. "I didn't get much sleep last night."

"When did Eric get home?" Natalie asked.

Tris frowned. "George brought him home at like two in the morning. He was drunk off his ass. I couldn't leave Ava when he was like that."

Natalie grew alarmed at the desperate note in Tris' voice and the tears gathering in her eyes. "Did something happen? Did he try anything?" she asked.

Tris shook her head and sighed. "He said some things, and he pawed at me a little, but he didn't hurt me. I got him to go to bed, then I stayed with Ava. I didn't know what to do."

"He pushed for more than you're ready for?" Natalie asked gently.

Tris nodded. "He talked about how he loves me and wants me. When I told him to take his pants off, he told me to do it. Then he called me a… well, a tease. He fell asleep after that, but I didn't know what would happen, so I locked myself in the nursery."

"Was Eric aggressive, or just... amorous?"

"He was practically cuddly," Tris said. "He was grabby and goofy, but he just wouldn't let up."

"I'm guessing he passed out cold after that?" Natalie asked. Tris nodded. "What happened this morning?"

"He didn't remember any of it," Tris said.

"Oh Sweetheart," Natalie said, laying down beside Tris. "Sometimes I see what a good job you're doing with Ava, and I forget how young the two of you are. Eric had too much to drink last night, and I am _not_ happy with him about that. He made a mistake. But I think the two of you can work through this if you want to."

"I just… It's just…" Tris stammered. "I mean…. Obviously Eric has experience, he does have a baby. But it's not just Ava's mom. He's been with a few women. And I have no experience. It terrifies me! What if I disappoint him? What if I'm no good at it or he's disappointed in how I look?"

"Let me tell you something," Natalie said gently. "Sex doesn't hold love together. Sex is fun, and it's an expression of your feelings, but love - real love - isn't dependent on the sex being the best or most frequent in the world. Love comes first; it's the foundation you build your life on as a couple. When you are ready, you will use sex to express that love. It's incredibly beautiful and bonding for a couple that cares about one another."

"But what about the other women?" Tris asked. "Won't he be comparing me to them - this one had bigger boobs, that one had better legs?"

"I hope not," Natalie said. "There are guys like that out there. They use sex for the physical release and collect women like baseball cards or something. But not all guys are like that. Eric has a few women in his past, but from what I can see he only wants one woman in his future."

"Thanks Mom," Tris said with a sigh.

.

The doorbell rang, and Eric hurried to answer before his visitor rang again and woke Ava. She had been crabby all morning, no doubt feeling the tension after Tris' abrupt and angry departure.

As Eric opened the front door and was greeted by a fist to the face. "What the…" he stammered as he took a step back.

"What did you do to my sister?" asked the enraged visitor.

"Caleb?" Eric asked. "Did you seriously just hit me? What the hell?"

"You tell _me_ what the hell, Asshole!" Caleb shouted. "I got home from work and Mom and Tris are shut in her room talking about you coming home drunk, pawing at her, and calling her names!"

Eric swore. "Stop yelling," he told Caleb. "I know I deserve it, but you'll wake Ava. Now come in here and tell me everything you heard. I went out with the other trainers last night for Max's birthday and we did tequila shots. I don't remember a lot of it, but I woke up this morning with a nasty hangover and a pissed off girlfriend who won't talk to me."

"Based on what I heard, I think you mean a pissed off ex-girlfriend," Caleb snarled.

Eric swore again. "What the hell did I do?!"

Caleb told Eric what he had heard his mom and Tris say to one another. He had walked upstairs as Tris was explaining that Eric came home drunk. Caleb had been alarmed by both their words and their tones as he listened to his sister talk about Eric "saying stuff," "pawing" at her, and telling her to take his pants off.

"Mom asked if you were aggressive when you got amorous - her word, not mine. That's when I had enough. What the hell, man? I thought you loved her!"

"I do!" Eric said desperately.

"Then your version of love is fucked up," Caleb said. "Love doesn't come home drunk and get rough. God, I hope she isn't pregnant or something."

"She isn't. We haven't…"

"Are you sure?" Caleb said. "You said you don't remember anything. I heard my mom and sister. You 'got amorous,' you passed out, and my sister locked herself in the nursery because she was scared, but she couldn't leave Ava."

Eric dropped onto the couch and scrubbed his hands over his face. His left eye was throbbing where Caleb hit him, and his head was still aching. But none of it hurt like his heart.

_What have I done?_

.

Tris' phone rang again in the afternoon. Assuming it was Eric, she moved to reject the call, but it was Matthew's name on the screen.

"Hello?" she said.

"Tris, it's Matthew. Did you get my message?"

"I did," she replied. "I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to you. I haven't... haven't been feeling well, so Eric and I haven't talked about the interview."

"Well," the campaign manager said, "I'm sorry to hear that, but I'm afraid I need an answer. The magazine comes out on Thursday, and that gives us just four days to tape the piece for the news. I just need to know what day you're available to film."

"That's not a lot of notice," Tris said. "I'm available Wednesday after three if they'll do it with just me."

"I can probably make that work, but I'm sure they'll want Ava, too," Matthew pressed.

"They have the magazine's pictures," Tris said. "You'll have to talk to Eric about Ava, though; I can't answer for them."

Tris ended the call with Matthew. When she hung up, she saw more new texts from Eric.

**E: Caleb was here. I'm an ass.**

**E: Please talk to me. At least text.**

**E: How bad was I? Are you hurt? Did I force myself on you?**

**E: I want you to know that even if you never want to see me again, you can still see Ava.**

**E: I never told you, but after Ava came home I had a will made. If anything happens to me, she goes to you or your parents.**

**E: I love you.**

**E: I don't deserve you or your forgiveness, so I won't ask for it, but I love you anyway.**

Tris sighed and rolled her eyes. _How does Caleb know what happened?_ she wondered. _And what did he tell Eric?_ In a momentary flash of both compassion and anger, Tris replied to Eric.

**T: Sorry to disappoint, but you didn't add a ninth notch to your belt.**

Eric replied quickly.

**E: As much as I love you and want you, I'm relieved. I'd want to remember that.**

**T: You'll have to settle for your imagination.**

With that, Tris shut off her phone and went downstairs to watch television. Caleb was in the family room already, and he gave her a pitying look.

"What did you do?" she asked her brother as she sat down beside him.

"Brother stuff," Caleb said smugly, throwing an arm across Tris' shoulders. "I gave the asshole a black eye."

"You did not," Tris said, elbowing Caleb in the side.

"I'm serious, Beatrice," Caleb said, all teasing gone from his voice. "I heard you and Mom talking about Eric coming home drunk and giving you a hard time. Did you… Did he, you know... Did he force himself on you?"

"No," Tris said firmly. "He was drunk, and an ass, but he did not _rape_ me. Eric wouldn't do something like that."

Caleb sighed. "Good," he said. "You're okay?"

"I'll be fine," Tris said, laying her head on Caleb's shoulder. "I was scared, and my feelings were hurt, but I'm fine."

"Are you breaking up?" Caleb asked solemnly.

Tris sighed. "I don't know," she said. "I was pretty shook up. I can't be with him if that's going to keep happening."

.

On Monday morning Tris skipped her run. She didn't want to see Eric yet. Instead, she went through one of her favorite yoga workouts before she got ready for work. She was sipping coffee with her mother before work when the doorbell rang.

Tris felt her heart rate spike, fearing that Eric was at the door. She stayed in the kitchen while Natalie opened the door. A minute later, Natalie came back to the kitchen with a bouquet of roses in a rainbow of colors - red, peach, pink, yellow, and lavender.

"Those are beautiful," Tris said. "You're a well-loved woman, Mom."

"I agree," Natalie said. "But these are for you."

"Me?" Tris asked, grabbing the attached card.

**Each color of rose stands for a different attribute or relationship. I had to send you all the colors, because you're my everything. - E**

Tris couldn't help but smile a little as she showed the card to her mother.

The lighter feeling stayed with Tris all the way to work and into her shift at Flapjacks. She was the runner that day, a job she enjoyed. Cleaning tables was the downside, but she got to chat with customers, which she enjoyed. She helped a frazzled young mother herd her three kids to a table. She carried hot cups of coffee for an adorable elderly couple. She brought heaping plates of breakfast or soup and sandwiches to customer after customer.

During her break, Tris pulled out her phone to see that Eric had sent her two pictures of Ava. She decided to reply.

**T: Thank you for the pictures, and the roses.**

Eric replied just before she had to go back to work.

**E: I think Ava is coming down with something. She's warm and restless today.**

**T: Have you taken her temp?**

**E: 99.2**

**T: Could be teething.**

**E: Any advice?**

**T: Stay home. Cuddle. Infant fever reducer is in the medicine cabinet in her bathroom.**

When her shift ended, Tris went back to her parents' house. She checked her phone every few minutes as she worked on laundry and had dinner with her mom and Caleb.

She finally heard from Eric around seven o'clock, when he should have been getting Ava ready for bed.

**E: 99.5**

**T: When was the last dose of meds?**

**E: 2:00**

**T: She's due. Did it help?**

**E: Yes, but she was still cranky.**

**T: Meds, bath, bottle, bed. Ok?**

**E: Thank you**

Tris went to bed anxious about Ava. She tried to tell herself that the fever was just teething, but she worried anyway.

Tris was awakened in the middle of the night by the sound of her phone ringing. She sat up abruptly and grabbed the device. Eric's face was on the screen, and her heart raced as she fumbled to answer.

"Hello?" she said.

The sound of a screaming baby filled her ears.

"Tris?" Eric said. "I need help; she's burning up, and she won't stop crying."

"What's her temperature?" Tris asked as she threw on the first clothes she could find.

"One hundred and one," Eric said.

"I'm on my way," Tris told him. "Call the nurse hotline."

Tris literally ran through the house, putting on flip flops as she grabbed her purse and keys. As she drove the short distance to Eric's, she prayed for Ava's health. When she arrived, Tris could hear Ava screaming as she dug her key out of her purse and let herself in.

She followed the sound of the baby's wailing up the stairs and into the nursery. Eric was there pacing the room with his phone held to his ear and his daughter in his other arm. Tris took Ava from him.

"It's okay, Sweetheart," Tris comforted the baby.

"Her mom arrived," Tris heard Eric say into the phone. "Yes, thank you. I will."

Tris laid the baby on the changing pad and started undressing her. Ava was warm, but her wet diaper was a good sign, because it meant she wasn't dehydrated.

"I'm glad you're here," Eric said gently as he watched Tris redress Ava.

"When was her last dose of Tylenol?" Tris asked.

"Seven thirty," Eric replied. Tris looked up at the clock. It was just after three AM.

"What did the nurse say?" she asked.

"They want me to bring her to the doctor. She thinks it's teething, or maybe an ear infection."

Tris prepared a dose of medicine for the baby, but Ava resisted, turning her face away and crying when Tris tried to put the syringe of liquid in her mouth. She lifted the infant to a vertical position and had a little more success getting her to swallow the pink liquid.

"See how she doesn't want to swallow and how she reaches for her ears a lot?" Tris asked. "Those are classic ear infections symptoms. The Tylenol will help with the pain, and the doctor will probably give you antibiotics tomorrow. Ear infections are common at this age; they often come along with teething."

Once she got Ava to take all of her medicine, Tris laid the baby on her chest and shoulder. Ava's cries reduced to pitiful whimpers, and Tris rubbed soothing circles on her back as she murmured comfortingly and rocked back and forth. Eric walked up behind Tris and put his hands on her shoulders. He rested his chin of the top of Tris' head and rocked with her.

"I'm so sorry about Saturday night, Tris," Eric said. "I was stupid, and I scared you and hurt your feelings. I love you so much, and I never want to hurt you like that."

"I know," Tris said quietly. She wanted to stay angry, but it felt so good to be with Eric again, and to feel his warmth surrounding her. "But that wasn't you. Drunk Eric doesn't have any boundaries. Remember the texts after your graduation? I was seventeen and you had been my teacher until a few days before. As soon as you got a few drinks in you called me jailbait and complained because I wasn't at a bar with you.

"The next time you got drunk, Saturday, you told me you wanted to do wicked things with my body, and that I was a cocktease for making you wait. You were grabbing me all over, and I was scared of what you were going to do."

"I sound like a broken record," Eric said, "but I'm sorry. All I can do is apologize, so I'll say it until you believe me. I'm so sorry."

"Eric," Tris began timidly. "I'm concerned about your drinking habits. I've never seen you have a drink with dinner or when we've had friends over, but the two times I know of you drinking, you've gotten totally wasted and acted like a jerk."

Eric sighed. "That's the college drinking mentality," he said. "At least it was among my friends and at the parties we went to. I don't crave alcohol or enjoy the taste. I drink to have a good time. The problem is that a few drinks make me feel so relaxed that I quit saying no, and it goes too far."

"I…" Tris stammered. "I don't… I don't like who you become… when it goes too far."

She sniffled, and Eric drew her closer, wrapping his arms around Tris and the sleeping baby.

"I don't like that I hurt you," Eric said. "I don't need to drink - nobody _needs_ to drink. I don't want to put you through that again. When stuff comes up, I'll just offer to be the designated driver. Does that make you feel better?"

Tris nodded against Eric's shoulder. They stood together in silence for a few moments. Both felt battered and bruised by their conflict, but relieved to be together again. Eric felt hopeful and resolved, while Tris still felt anxious, but somehow whole again.


	20. Chapter 20

When they finally put Ava in her crib, Eric led Tris out to the hall with a gentle hand on her back. Wordlessly he opened the linen closet and took out a blanket, then led Tris to the master bedroom.

"Just let me get a pillow," Eric said quietly, "and I'll be out of your way."

"What?" Tris asked.

"Tris, it's late. And quite honestly, I'll need you if Ava wakes up again."

"I… I don't have anything to wear," she stammered. "And I have to work in the morning."

Eric shuffled through his dresser and handed Tris a t-shirt and a pair of boxer shorts. "I'll be downstairs," he said, kissing her on the forehead.

Tris' hands shook as she took the clothing from Eric.

"The door locks," Eric reminded her. "If it helps you feel safe-"

"Eric," Tris interrupted. "Let me sleep on the couch; you're too big."

"No," Eric said firmly. "Go to bed, Duchess. I'll see you in the morning." With that, Eric kissed Tris on the forehead again and left, closing the door behind him.

Tris went into the attached bathroom and changed. Eric's shirt was as big as a dress on her, but the boxers fit better than she expected once she rolled the waistband a bit. Tris blushed thinking that she was wearing a pair of Eric's underwear, but they were clean, so she tried not to dwell on it.

Back in the bedroom, she crawled into Eric's big bed.

.

Ava was fussy again in the morning. She clung to Tris, and squirmed and cried any time she was laid on her back or set down. She still had a low-grade fever, but Tris wouldn't let Eric give her any more medication, explaining that the doctor needed to see Ava's symptoms to know how to treat her.

"I just don't like to see her in pain," Eric argued.

"I know," Tris said. "You're a good daddy. But a little pain now is a lot less pain later."

Eric reluctantly agreed, and Tris stayed to help until Eric left for the appointment with the pediatrician.

"Text me," Tris admonished as they climbed into their respective vehicles.

After running home to change, Tris barely made it to Flapjacks on time. She clocked in and saw that she was scheduled to be on register.

Tris was distracted all morning. She wasn't allowed to have her phone at work, so she was restless and worried while she waited for a chance to check her messages.

After she messed up a customer's change, James sidled up to Tris and nudged her with his elbow.

"What's eating you, Dauntless?" he asked.

"Ava's sick," Tris said with a sigh. "Eric took her to the doctor, but I haven't had my break, so I don't know what they said. It's probably just teething and an ear infection, but she's never been sick before, at least not more than a stuffy nose."

James thumped Tris on the back. "Go get your phone," he told her. "You're on register, not touching people's food, and you have a sick kid."

Tris smiled gratefully at James and hurried to get her phone, which showed several messages from Eric.

**E: You called it, Duchess. Ear infection**

**E: She hates this pink medicine they gave her.**

**E: I got the antibiotic in her, but she refuses the Tylenol.**

**E: (picture of Natalie holding sleeping Ava) Grandma to the rescue.**

She sent Eric a quick reply before going back to work.

**T: I'm sure Mom is happy to help. She was worried this morning. Last night was rough for you, nap if you can.**

Eric replied quickly.

**E: (selfie of Eric in Tris' bed) Your mom sent me to nap. I like this bed. It smells like you. (heart emoji)**

**T: I gotta go back to work. Sleep good.**

Tris went back to work with a smile on her face. She didn't have any more messages when her break time came, and she finished her shift feeling better.

Eric and Ava were still at the Priors' house when Tris got off work, and they both looked better rested. Natalie suggested that Tris and Eric leave the baby with her and go out for dinner.

"Mom," Tris argued, "she's sick. We can't leave her."

"Nonsense," Natalie said. "It's just an ear infection, and she's doing just fine on the Tylenol and antibiotics. Besides, you two have a lot to talk about."

Eric smiled hopefully at Tris. "What do you say?" he asked. "May I take you to dinner?"

Tris agreed to dinner out with Eric. While she was showering and getting ready, he made a phone call.

He was surprised how quickly Tris returned, and how adorable she looked. Her hair was in a side braid, and she wore only minimal makeup. She was dressed in a short, loose-fitting sundress that was black with a grey feather print.

The short dress highlighted Tris' toned and tanned legs, and Eric noticed that her toenails were painted the same bright pink as Ava's.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

They said their goodbyes to Natalie and Ava, unnecessarily reminding Tris' mom of everything that crossed their minds, and that she should call them if anything came up.

"First-time parents..." Natalie said to Ava once the couple was gone. She shook her head and laughed.

.

"Where are we going?" Tris asked as they backed out of the Priors' driveway.

"Amar is waiting tables for the summer at a nice place on the lake," Eric explained. "I called him when you were in the shower. Since it's Tuesday they had reservations available, and Amar said he would put us in a more private table."

"That sounds nice," Tris said, suddenly feeling shy.

Eric reached across the console, his palm facing up in an invitation for Tris to take his hand if she was willing. She did, and he smiled with relief.

"Matthew called me," Eric said. "He tells me you're doing a news interview tomorrow to go with the magazine release."

Tris nodded. "I told him that he had to talk to you about Ava participating, or you for that matter. I don't have authority to release images of your daughter or to make decisions on your behalf."

"I told him that Ava has been sick, but we'll come with you if she's feeling better, and they can use pictures you agree to," Eric said.

"He wants us to do some other public appearances, too," Tris added. "Stuff like parades, county fairs, nothing big. He thinks the magazine and news pieces will make us an attraction."

"That's what your dad was afraid of," Eric said. "He doesn't want to use you and make you some sideshow to further his career."

"I know," Tris sighed, "and I don't like the attention or potential invasion of privacy, but he _has to_ get elected. He would be an amazing senator, and he deserves this. I can't let him lose over stupid rumors and lies about me. That's why I have to tell my story - our story - even if I'd rather just keep it to myself. And I don't mind walking in a few parades and shaking a few hands."

They talked about Andrew's campaign for a few more minutes, and soon Eric was parking his truck at an upscale but casual restaurant with gorgeous views of the lake. He hopped out of the truck and hurried to the passenger side, but Tris had already climbed down on her own.

"Duchess," Eric scolded. "We're on a date. You have to let me treat you like a lady."

Eric saw a flash of hurt cross Tris' features, and he could have kicked himself for reminding her of their fight and his less than gentlemanly behavior when he was drunk.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look?" Eric asked, desperate to change the subject and help Tris feel loved and safe again.

"Thank you," she said shyly.

Eric hated that Tris felt so shy and unsure. He missed her banter and her confidence. He knew that his pushy attitude, brash words, and aggressive hands had pulled the proverbial rug out from under her. She had been relaxed with him and confident in his love as they eased into greater intimacy at her pace. Now she was self-conscious, nervous, and skeptical of his motives and reactions.

He knew that his only hope of restoring his girlfriend's trust and confidence was to start slowly rebuilding. He gave her a gentle smile and offered his hand as he walked them to the restaurant entrance.

True to his word, Amar had secured a private table for Eric and Tris. The hostess led the young couple to their seats, handed them menus, and wished them a pleasant evening. Amar arrived a minute later, wrapped in a white apron, with a big grin on his face.

"Good evening," he said with false formality and a bow. "Can I start you off with something to drink? Jack and Coke perhaps? Or are you skipping straight to tequila shots?"

Amar laughed, but Tris and Eric didn't join him. Eric watched Tris warily as her gaze fell to her lap.

"I'll just have water," she said. "Excuse me; I need to use the ladies' room."

As she ducked out of the booth without making eye contact, Eric swore under his breath.

"What happened?" Amar asked in alarm. "Was it something I said?"

"It's not your fault," Eric said wearily as he scrubbed a hand over his face. "I was an ass when George brought me home the other night. She wouldn't even talk to me until Ava got sick last night. It's kind of a miracle that she's here right now."

"Damn," Amar said. "I'm sorry. George was pissed too, if it's any consolation."

"Thanks," Eric said. "Like I said, it's not your fault. Apparently 'drunk Eric' isn't so patient with boundaries. I didn't do anything, but I scared her pretty good."

"So no alcohol for you," Amar said. "Can I get you a soda, lemonade, or water?"

"Water's good," Eric said.

Amar patted him on the shoulder as he left to get their drinks and check on his other tables. Tris returned a few minutes later, still not making eye contact with Eric.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Tris replied, glancing up briefly.

"I don't think you are," Eric said gently. "I think you're scared and doubting yourself. I talked to your mom today."

Tris looked up abruptly, just as Amar appeared with two glasses of water. He placed the beverages on the table, then addressed Tris.

"I'm sorry about the other night," he said. "Eric wanted to go home, but it was Max's birthday and we just got carried away. George was pissed when he had to come get us and drive everybody home. I hope we didn't wake Ava or cause too much trouble."

"It's fine," Tris said. "It's weird to hear that all your teachers got together and got wasted, but you're adults. I'm just glad nobody tried to drive."

"Tori tried," Amar laughed. "She's my sister-in-law and I love her to death, but that woman is insane. Fortunately George is familiar with her ways and took his keys. She looked like a toddler sitting behind the wheel trying to drive a parked car."

Amar laughed again, and Eric smiled when Tris giggled a little. "She's a wild one," Amar added, "but this guy is a cuddler. I think he hugged each of us about a hundred times, and he kept talking about how he wanted to go home and see his 'duchess.' Is that you, or the baby?"

Tris blushed fiercely and Amar laughed. "I think I have my answer, and it looks like Tori owes me ten bucks. Are you guys ready to order?"

The couple ordered dinner, and Amar left them alone. Eric was grateful for the jovial coach's words that lightened the mood. They talked about Ava and Tris' job until Amar brought their food.

After the first few bites of her dinner, Tris brought up their earlier conversation. "So you talked to my mom?" she prompted.

Eric nodded, and finished the food in his mouth before replying. "I got mothered pretty good," he said. "I think I'm grounded for a few weeks and she took away my allowance."

Tris smiled in spite of herself. "Yeah," she said, "Mom was pretty mad at you."

"Rightfully so," Eric said. "If a guy treated Ava like that, I'd have his balls in a vice grip. I'm completely ashamed of myself."

"Caleb claims he gave you a black eye," Tris said with a teasing smile, "but I see he was exaggerating."

Eric chuckled. "He did sucker punch me, and it did hurt, but he's not as strong as he thinks. My eye was a bit red yesterday, but it didn't bruise."

"Really?" Tris asked incredulously. "I thought he was making that up, and maybe he yelled at you or something."

"Oh, he yelled," Eric said, "but he took a swing at me first."

"I feel like I should apologize for him, but you kind of brought that on yourself," Tris said as she lifted another forkful to her mouth.

"I totally brought that on myself," Eric agreed. "I'm, uh, I'm actually surprised that your mom suggested we go out tonight. I expected her to shoo me away with a broom when Caleb told me that you and she discussed what I did."

"Actually, she was the one who convinced me to talk to you again," Tris said.

"Really?" Eric asked.

Tris nodded. "She pretty much said that we're young, and while she's not happy with you for getting wasted, she thought we could work through it. She reminded me that you love me, and that you want to be with me for the long haul, not just for… you know." Tris blushed and ducked her head.

Eric set his fork down and reached for her hand. "I miss you," he said quietly. "I miss your teasing, and your confidence. I miss the way you make my house feel like home. You bring so much to my life. Since I hurt you, and since Ava got sick… I just… I feel like all the color, all the joy, is gone from my life. You're my best friend, Tris. You're my co-parent, my cheerleader, and my sounding board. You give me confidence as a parent and as a man. You're everything to me, and I don't want to lose the whole cake over mere sprinkles."

"Sprinkles?" Tris asked with a grin.

"Sprinkles," Eric said. "They're a lot of fun, but only when it's part of something bigger. You're the whole package, Duchess, and when you're ready for sprinkles it will just add more to what I already love."

"Did someone say sprinkles?" Amar asked, suddenly appearing at their table. "It sounds like somebody is ready for dessert."

Eric smirked when Tris blushed. He took the dessert menu from Amar and ordered a chocolate lava cake to share.

Full of rich dinner and the lava cake Amar insisted was on the house, Eric and Tris walked back to the truck. Eric opened Tris' door and offered her a hand as she climbed into the tall vehicle. He walked around and got behind the wheel, then drove them back to the Priors' home.

Ava was asleep when they got there, so Tris invited Eric to sit on the back patio with her. He felt hopeful, and took it as a good sign that she wanted to spend more time with him. They grabbed glasses of lemonade and carried them out to the patio, where they sat side-by-side on a rocking bench. Eric cautiously put an arm around Tris' shoulders, and held his breath as he waited for her reaction. When she snuggled into his side, they both sighed with relief and contentment.

On Wednesday morning Tris woke in her own bed. Eric and Ava had gone home at a reasonable time, and Eric had texted that Ava slept through the entire drive and transition to her own crib. She didn't hear from him again overnight, so she assumed that the medicine was working and Ava was feeling and sleeping better.

Tris had an earlier shift at Flapjacks that morning, working breakfast and through the lunch rush, then being relieved instead of staying for the afternoon as she usually did.

After work she made her way home and prepared for her interview with the news station. They had asked her to dress casually, so Tris put on her cropped jeans and a flowy burgundy tank. She added the Dauntless necklace that Eric had given her for graduation, and a pair of grey flats. She braided her long hair and added a touch of makeup, unsure if the news team would do hair or makeup for the interview.

Matthew and the news team had arranged for the interview to be held in the lobby of the converted KMart-turned-church where Tris found baby Ava. When she arrived, the news van was already there, so Tris parked and went inside.

She was greeted by the station's reporter, Jane Andrews, who handled human interest stories. She was a kind middle-aged woman with silver streaks in her dark hair, and a strong "mom" vibe. Her segments were popular, and viewers enjoyed her compassionate reporting, and the often heart-warming stories she covered.

A small crew was setting up lights in the church's lobby. Jane introduced Tris to the minister, a grandfatherly gentleman with grey hair and a warm smile. Tris thanked him for allowing them to use his church for the interview.

"Miss Prior, we are happy to help," the minister assured her. "From what Ms. Andrews has told me of your story, it sounds like quite the miracle. I will think of it every time I drive past that side of our building. Thank the Lord that He put you in the right place at the right time. Will the baby be here today?"

"I'm not sure," Tris said, pulling out her phone to check for messages. "She's teething and she's had an ear infection, but Eric said that if Ava wakes up from her nap in time and is feeling good enough, he'll bring her over. Would you like to see a picture of her?"

The minister agreed, and Tris showed him a picture of Ava from Christmas, when she was just tiny, then another picture of the chubby, smiling, almost-six-month-old.

"Look at her!" the minister cooed. "She's so beautiful and healthy." Tris beamed with pride.

Jane led Tris to the seating area where the news crew was ready to begin taping. She helped Tris put on a wireless microphone, and explained that since this was a human-interest story and not live news they would tape more than they would use, and they might have to record things more than once. Tris nodded in understanding and followed the reporter's instructions as they began.

Jane instructed Tris to tell the story of how she came to find baby Ava. Tris walked through her tale, answering the reporter's questions.

"I understand that you and the baby's father are in a relationship now," Jane said.

"We are," Tris said. "We became friends as we helped him prepare to take Ava home and while he was adjusting to life after suddenly becoming a single parent. My mom and I provided childcare for a few weeks after he took her home. A couple weeks ago he asked me out, and I was happy to say yes. Eric is a terrific father and a wonderful person."

"He's not bad to look at, either," said the reporter conspiratorially. "I saw the pictures in Chicagoland Magazine. The three of you look good together."

"Thank you," Tris said, blushing.

Once the news team was satisfied with the footage they got inside, Jane asked Tris to take her outside and show her where she found the baby. Tris obliged and the reporter, minister, and the whole news crew followed her out to the parking lot.

Tris pointed out the garbage can near the bus stop on the corner, and explained where she had found the pink blanket. Jane instructed the cameraman to set up there, and she and Tris got in position.

"So Tris," Jane began. "We're standing right where you were when you found baby Ava. Tell us how that came about."

Tris told her story again. She pointed out where the baby was laying and what she was thinking as she opened the blanket and revealed the tiny newborn. As she was talking about zipping the newborn into her vest to share body heat while they waited for help, Tris' story was suddenly interrupted by a loud squeal. She looked up and saw Eric walking toward her with Ava in his arms.

Tris laughed. "Sorry to interrupt," Eric said. Ava squealed again and waved her arms at Tris.

"It looks like someone wants your attention," Jane said.

Tris stepped toward Eric and took the happy baby from his arms. He leaned in and gave Tris a peck on the forehead and a one-armed hug. She leaned into his chest and introduced him to the minister, reporter, and news crew.

They put a microphone on Eric and taped some more with him and with Ava. Eric emphasized how much the Prior family had done to provide and care for Ava when she was their foster child, and how they had selflessly helped him as he and Ava started their life together.

When the news crew had everything they needed, Tris got in her car and followed the Coulters to Eric's house. Tris looked at her phone when they got there and saw a surprising text from Christina.

**C: OMG! You're on CelebWatch! (link)**


	21. Chapter 21

Tris clicked on the link Christina sent, opening the paparazzi-fueled celebrity rumor site called CelebWatch. "Senate Candidate's Teen Daughter Caught On Date With Teacher," the headline read. There were several low-quality cellphone camera images of her and Eric at the restaurant the night before. It was obvious that the photos had been taken from a distance, and they showed her and Eric holding hands across the table, and Eric feeding Tris a bite of their chocolate lava cake.

Tris read the article.

"Beatrice Prior, teenage daughter of Illinois Senate candidate Andrew Prior, was seen at a Chicago-area restaurant getting cozy with Eric Coulter, a teacher in the Dauntless program at Factions High School, which Prior graduated from just days ago. Coulter is the father of a young baby who is frequently seen with the Priors. Inside sources say that the Prior campaign has been hiding his daughter's baby and her relationship with Coulter."

A tap at her car window startled Tris. She looked up and saw Eric with Ava in his arms and a worried look on his face. She unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the car door.

"Aren't you coming inside?" Eric asked.

Tris handed him her phone and took Ava. Eric swore as he read the headline.

"I need to call my dad and Matthew," Tris said as they walked inside. "This has David written all over it."

She put Ava in her jumper and took her phone back to forward the link to Andrew and Matthew. A minute later, Tris' phone rang.

"Hey Dad," Eric heard her say.

"I'm fine," she said. "I'm pissed, but I'm fine. I did the TV news interview today, and it's supposed to air tomorrow when the magazine comes out."

She was quiet for a few minutes, nodding and making agreeing noises now and then. Eric stepped up behind her and put his hands on her tense shoulders. He began massaging them gently, and Tris leaned back into his chest.

"I'm going to reply to Christina then shut off my phone," Tris told her dad. "If you need to reach me, try Eric's number. I'm going to look for someone to cover my shift at work tomorrow. Will you call Mom, or should I?"

Tris was quiet for another moment then said goodbye to her dad and hung up the phone. She leaned into Eric and sighed as she typed out a response to Christina then shut off her phone.

"Mom will probably call or text you soon," she said wearily.

Eric wrapped his arms around Tris and rocked them back and forth. He kissed her on the temple, and then the side of her neck. "I won't let anything happen to you," he promised.

"I don't feel threatened," Tris tried to explain. "Violated maybe, hurt by false accusations, worried about Dad's campaign, and definitely angry, but not scared. Ironically, I would really like to stay here with you tonight, but that seems like a terrible idea. The last thing we should do is to give them more ammo."

Eric chuckled. "There's some defiance in you, isn't there, Duchess? As soon as you shouldn't, that's exactly what you want."

"Partially," Tris admitted. "I don't like being forced into things. It makes me want to push back. But also because I just don't want to be away from the two of you."

Eric's phone and the doorbell rang simultaneously. They looked at one another in surprise, and Tris moved toward the door while Eric answered the call.

The person at the door was a stranger, and Tris kept a foot pressed against the door so it wouldn't open more than a few inches. "Can I help you?" she asked.

"Miss Prior, I'm Kristin Rivers from the Post-Tribune." Tris recognized the publication as a former newspaper that now operated online as a sort of political gossip and scandal site.

"Is it true that you were sleeping with your teacher? Why did the school not open an investigation or fire Mr. Coulter? Did your father use his influence to keep this quiet?" The reporter's questions came at Tris rapid-fire.

"Stop," Tris said firmly. "I have two things to say. First of all, pick up an issue of Chicagoland Magazine tomorrow, or watch channel nine news. Both of them have the true story about me, Eric, and his daughter. Secondly, I have no further comment, and any requests for an interview need to be scheduled through Prior campaign headquarters."

Tris shut the door and locked the deadbolt. She returned to the kitchen and dug through a drawer until she found a notepad, marker, and tape. She wrote out the same thing she had told the reporter at the door, stating that she and Eric had no comment, and that interested parties should read the magazine, watch the news, or contact the Prior campaign for more information.

She heard snippets of Eric's phone conversation as she prepared the note. He seemed to be speaking to Principal Roth from Factions High School.

"Yes ma'am," Eric was saying. "I can assure you that my relationship with Tris was professional but friendly while she was a student. You already know that they have their facts wrong about Ava being Tris' child, and I can assure you that they're wrong about other things, too."

Tris scribbled a quick note and handed it to Eric. He glanced at it while Dr. Roth was talking to him through the phone, then raised an eyebrow at Tris. She nodded in confirmation.

"Veronica," Eric interrupted, "Max has footage of Tris taking a lie detector test. He made it the individual assessment part of her Dauntless final. Harrison and a tech from Candor administered the test. It will show you that, although Tris and I were in a unique situation with her family and my daughter and everything, there was nothing inappropriate about our relationship. She and I only began seeing one another after graduation."

Eric was quiet again, listening to the principal's reply, so Tris took her note to the front door and taped it there. She latched the deadbolt again and went back to the kitchen. Ava was starting to fuss and squirm in her jumper, and Tris realized that it was past the little one's dinner time. She prepared the baby food and supplies, and lifted the growing baby out of her jumper.

Eric finished his call with the principal and typed out a few texts.

"My phone is blowing up," he complained. "Roth wants to know if we're hiding something. I have a dozen friend requests on social media, and I've been tagged in the CelebWatch article at least ten times. Your mom wants us to go over there for the night. Matthew wants us to know that the news station is doing a teaser at ten o'clock for tomorrow's story. Max is freaking out, and your dad is apologizing every few minutes. Ugh!"

Ava laughed around a mouthful of green beans, drooling it down her chin.

"You find that funny?" Eric teased the baby. Her eyes lit up at her father's attention, and she waved her arms wildly.

Tris waited for Ava to calm down before giving her another spoonful. Eric's phone rang, and he rolled his eyes before sending it to voicemail.

"Go pack a bag for you and Ava," Tris suggested. "I'll finish feeding her and we can go to Mom's for the night."

"I'm starting to see why the Kennedys would gather at their compound and hide out there," Eric grumbled. "It's a lot of work dating a senator's daughter."

Tris bit her lip, and Eric immediately regretted the joke. She turned back to feeding Ava without responding.

"Duchess," Eric soothed. "You know I'm only teasing. I'd walk through hellfire for you. What's a little paparazzi attention? We have the truth on our side."

"We say that a lot," Tris said wearily. "We keep saying that we have the truth on our side, but the attacks keep coming. I didn't mind it when my dad wanted to run for Senate - I was even excited for him. When he said that people might start bugging us or whatever, I thought I had nothing in my life to interest them. I'm nobody and there's nothing scandalous or exciting about me. Now, thanks to David, there are lies about me on CelebWatch, of all the dumb things!"

Eric sighed and walked to the table where Tris was sitting and feeding Ava. He ran his fingers through Tris' hair in a soothing manner.

"Tomorrow the news and the magazine will tell the whole story," he said. "Everyone will know the truth, and the rumors and lies will end. Once they know there's no scandal, the vultures should back off. We'll be okay."

Eric's phone rang again, and he answered it. "Hey Max," he said. "She's right here, hold on."

He handed the phone to Tris and kissed her on the forehead before going upstairs to pack.

Tris held Eric's phone with one hand, and continued feeding Ava with the other. "Hi Max," she greeted her former teacher sheepishly.

"Hey Tris," Max said. "How are you holding up?"

"I've been better," she replied wryly. "I've never been famous before, and so far I'm not liking it."

Max chuckled. "Well, I'm sorry to add to your troubles, but Dr. Roth is breathing down my neck. Eric told her about your polygraph, and she wants to see it. While I technically don't need your permission to show student work to the principal, this feels personal. I would feel better if you gave me your opinion before I went over there."

"I appreciate your sensitivity," Tris said. "I know she's worked up about the rumors and what they might mean for Factions and for her career. Tomorrow's news story should get the whole truth out there and shut down the rumors, but I think the polygraph video will help even more. I just have one request."

"What is it?" Max asked.

"How do you have the video stored?" Tris asked.

"A flash drive," Max answered. "It's here at my house."

"It's not on a server at school or in any emails or anything?"

"No," Max insisted. "We don't record individual assessments. Harrison just suggested I set up a camera for yours in case something like this happened. I used my own laptop for the video, so there are no other copies or anything."

"Good," Tris replied. "I'm fine with you showing the video to Dr. Roth. As I keep saying, we have nothing to hide. But I'm afraid she's too jumpy about protecting the school and she might do something stupid like giving it to a news outlet."

"I wish I could tell you that she wouldn't do that, but you're probably right," Max admitted.

"I don't mind if you _show_ it to her," Tris repeated, "but I don't want you to _give_ it to her. Does that make sense? Don't email it to her or give her the flash drive. Just show her the video and explain that Eric and I have a magazine article and a news story coming out tomorrow that will dispel the rumors."

"She's going to push for a copy of the video," Max warned Tris.

"Take backup," Tris suggested. "Maybe Eric can go with you, or better yet, Harrison. He was there for the interrogation, and everyone knows he and Dr. Roth hate each other."

Max chuckled. "I thought that wasn't common knowledge."

Tris scoffed. "In a school where one faction is made up of the smartest kids out there and another faction is made of human lie detectors, there aren't a lot of secrets. You should know that by now. Don't worry about it. He's retired anyway. Just see if he'll go with you. I think between the two of you, you can get out of there without leaving the flash drive. If you want to give it to me after that, you'll be able to honestly tell her you don't have it anymore. Okay?"

Max agreed, and Tris ended the call so she could clean up Ava. As she was wiping off the baby's face, Tris saw movement through the kitchen's patio door. It was dusk outside, but Tris was sure she had seen movement. As she lifted Ava from the highchair, she saw it again and realized that it was a person. He was hiding in the bushes at the back of Eric's yard, pointing a camera at the house.

"Eric!" Tris yelled, quickly moving away from the window with Ava in her arms.

Eric ran down the stairs, and they met in the foyer.

"There's someone in your backyard with a camera," Tris said angrily.

Eric growled and moved to go back upstairs. "What are you doing?" Tris asked in a panicked voice that made Ava whimper in fear.

Eric stopped at the sound of his girls' fear. "Getting my gun," he growled.

"How about you forget your gun and get your shit so we can get out of here," Tris snapped. "The last thing I need right now is you ending up in prison for shooting someone. Call 911 if you want - they _are_ trespassing - but for the love of God, don't start shooting people or threatening them with a gun!"

Eric walked down the last few stairs and wrapped his arms around Tris.

"This is so stupid," he said. "Why are we getting so much attention? And who shoots photos through the windows of a private residence? What kind of media would print them?"

"Must be a slow news day," Tris said against Eric's chest.

"Come upstairs with me," he suggested. "I'm done packing. I'll call 911 and we can wait in the nursery and keep an eye on the yard from Ava's window. Then we'll go to your mom's house for the night. Okay?"

"Okay," Tris said.

She handed Ava to Eric and followed them up the stairs. "Warrior," she said, "can I ask for one more thing?"

"Anything," Eric said, turning to give Tris a reassuring smile.

"Can you put blinds on the windows downstairs?"

Eric laughed. "Yes ma'am," he said. "First thing tomorrow."

Tris and Eric went upstairs and looked for the photographer in the backyard. They saw him in the bushes, looking at the house through his camera lens. Eric called 911 and reported the trespasser pointing a camera in his windows, then video recorded the man running away when police arrived.

The officers rang Eric's doorbell, and he spoke to them briefly. They hadn't seen the photographer in Eric's yard, so Eric showed them the video. He also explained that he, Tris, and the baby were going to leave for the night. The police officers promised to drive by occasionally and keep an eye on the place, which made Tris feel better.

Eric didn't want Tris to drive home by herself. He practically begged her to ride in the truck with him and Ava. "I just want us to stay together," he said.

Tris knew that the photographer trespassing in his yard had alarmed Eric. She agreed to ride home with him and the baby, so he put her car in his garage and double checked that the townhouse was locked up securely before they left.

When they arrived at the Priors' house, Natalie met them at the door. She was clearly alarmed by the sudden onslaught of media presence and attention to their family. The Priors' home landline had been ringing practically off the hook all afternoon and evening, and several reporters had come to the door. Tris told her about the note she put on Eric's door, and Natalie made one for her door as well.

With Caleb, Tris, Eric, and Ava all under one roof, Natalie and Eric did a sweep of the house. She closed the blinds on every window. He checked the locks on every window and door. She set the alarm system, unplugged the two phones still connected to their landline, and texted Andrew to let him know that everyone was home and that he should call or text her cellphone if he needed to reach them.

Meanwhile, Tris prepared Ava for bed and put her to sleep in her guest room crib. Caleb made brownies and popcorn and insisted on making the most of their locked-in evening with card games and a movie. The casual, homey distraction was just what they needed. Tris, Eric, Caleb, and Natalie played cards, snacked, and watched a movie together like it was just a normal evening at home and they weren't being slandered all over the internet.

At one point Tris turned on her phone to take a picture of them relaxing and hanging out together. While her phone was on, she flipped briefly through her text messages. Most of them she just deleted. Christina had texted again, and her message made Tris smile.

**C: Check out the comments on the CelebWatch page now! We're behind you, girl! #TeamTris #Eris**

Tris clicked on the link and skipped past the obnoxious "news" article to the comments.

"You have no idea what you're talking about," one comment said. "I hope they sue you for liable and slander."

"Eric Coulter is an awesome teacher," said another, "and Tris was taking college classes this year. You guys are so dumb. #TeamTris"

"It would have taken you five minutes to fact check this garbage," said a third comment. "Tris saved that baby's life and you're making a hero look like a teen slut. #TeamTris"

"I played volleyball with Tris this fall, there's no way she was pregnant and hiding it," read another comment.

"Eighteen might have 'teen' in it, but she's a legal adult," said another commenter. "She graduated almost a month ago, not mere days. Eric is just a couple years older than we are, and she wasn't even his student. If an 18 and 21 year old adult want to date each other, what business is that of yours?"

There were negative comments mixed in. Some people felt that Eric should be investigated, or even imprisoned. Some said it was shameful for a grown man to be out to dinner with his teenage student. But Tris was surprised to see that the supportive comments outweighed the negative ones.

Among the oldest comments on the story, Tris found what had to be Christina's own contribution. "Tris Prior is my best friend," it said. "This so-called news story got EVERYTHING wrong. I used to love CelebWatch for all the inside celebrity gossip, but now I know you're just leeches and vultures who take tiny parts of facts and use them to spin lies. The Priors are an amazing family. Don't ruin their real lives with your fake story. #TeamTris"

Tris noticed that a number of the comments used the #TeamTris hashtag. Clearly Christina had mobilized her friends and classmates to hit back at the so-called news story. She opened social media and clicked on Christina's profile. Her best friend's cover photo had been changed to a black background with #TeamTris written on it in bold white letters. She searched the hashtag #TeamTris and found that many of her friends, classmates, acquaintances, and even some total strangers had posted on social media in support of her, Eric, Ava, and the Prior campaign.

Tris posted the picture of her, Natalie, Eric, and Caleb playing games on her private page, where it would be visible to only her real-life friends. "You know the truth," she wrote. "Ava is not my child. Eric and I did not have an inappropriate relationship while he was a teacher at my school. My family is not hiding anything, because we have nothing to hide. We are locked in our home with strangers literally lurking in the bushes because someone lied. Dad's campaign is monitoring the situation. The real story comes out tomorrow in Chicagoland Magazine and on channel nine. If you see garbage posts, direct them to the real story. Thank you all so much for the #TeamTris hashtag and support. That has been the highlight of an otherwise crazy stressful day. My dad is going to be an amazing senator. We can't let one liar take that away from the people of Illinois!"

Tris showed her family the support that Christina and the others had drummed up on social media and in the comments of the CelebWatch article. They were all touched by the way Tris' friends had stepped up for her, and they looked forward to the release of the magazine and news stories.


	22. Chapter 22

Tris woke up on Thursday morning in her own bed, but surrounded by Eric's warmth. It was a tight fit for the two of them to share her full-size bed, but Eric had enjoyed the excuse to hold Tris all night as he slept with her back pressed against his chest.

Ava was babbling happily through the monitor, but before Tris could tear herself away from Eric's embrace, she heard Natalie in the guest room talking to the baby. "Ava," Natalie said in a sing-song voice. "Let's let mommy and daddy sleep a little longer, shall we?"

"See," growled Eric's sleepy voice as he nuzzled into Tris' neck and shoulder. "I'm not the only one who forgets you're not her mother."

"Great," Tris said wryly. "On one side I have my dad's ex-campaign manager, a celebrity gossip site, and my high school principal ready to stone me for allegedly being Ava's mother, and on the other side I have you and Mom wanting me to just give in and accept the title. No wonder rumors are flying."

Ava babbled and cooed through the baby monitor as Natalie changed her diaper and dressed her for the day. After a minute, the monitor went quiet and they heard Natalie walk past Tris' bedroom.

Eric pulled Tris closer and planted a kiss at the juncture of her neck and shoulder. She shivered, and could feel his morning wood pressing into her backside. "I love you," Eric said. "No matter what anyone says about you or about us, I love you. Ava loves you, too. You _are_ her mommy, even if you're not her biological mother. That's _your_ baby, remember?"

Tris nodded. "I just... I feel like I'm walking a tightrope sometimes," she confessed. "Everyone wants too much from me."

"Even me?" Eric asked.

Grateful she didn't have to look him in the eye while he was behind her, Tris nodded. Eric sighed, a sad, deflated sound.

"You want… sex," she stammered. Before he could cut her off to remind her, again, that he was content to wait, Tris continued. "You're not pushing me, but I know you want it. You want a future, and to start moving toward that future. You want me to accept that I'm Ava's mom. Those aren't… _bad_ things, and you're not being pushy, but… it's like… like I can feel the weight of what you want.

"I also feel the weight of what the campaign wants, what society wants, what my parents want, and what Dr. Roth and Max want. I'm being pulled in different directions, and I just… I… I'm going to fail. I'm going to let somebody down - it's impossible not to."

"What do _you_ want?" Eric asked, stroking the backs of his fingers up and down her arm. "What would make _you_ happy?"

"I don't know," Tris said in frustration. "I just want to be... free!"

Eric stiffened at her confession. _Does she want to be free of me?_ he wondered.

Tris turned in Eric's arms and buried her face in his chest. "I just want to be nobody special. I want to come and go and spend time with my family and friends. I want to take care of Ava without any accusations. I want to spend time with you and, maybe... like, work our way toward, uh, _more_ in our relationship."

"More?" Eric asked in surprise.

"More," Tris confirmed hesitantly. "Like, maybe work toward, um, sprinkles?"

"Can I kiss you?" Eric asked.

"What?" Tris asked. "Yeah, of course. Why did you ask?"

"We haven't really had time for much of that since last week," Eric said nervously. "You know, before I went out with the other coaches. I just didn't want to push you or make you uncomfortable."

Tris looked up at Eric and pressed a finger to his lips. "Kiss me, Warrior," she whispered.

And so he did. Eric kissed Tris gently at first, reintroducing their lips. She sighed, and he deepened the kiss, licking her bottom lip with his tongue. Tris opened her mouth, and Eric explored it with his tongue.

Tris stuck out her own tongue tentatively, and Eric obediently parted his lips for her. He moaned as their tongues tangled, and Tris pulled back. "I don't want to go too far too fast," she said, dropping her gaze.

If Eric had to be completely honest, Tris' fear hurt him. He knew that her anxiety was at least partly his own fault, but it stung that she was afraid. He hated that it had been so easy to snip the thread and break her trust, but rebuilding was painfully slow work.

"I know," he said patiently. "I groaned because I enjoyed what we were doing, not because I thought we would go further. It feels so good to hold you again, and to kiss you."

Tris rested her head against Eric's chest. "The magazine comes out today," she said, swirling her fingers through his smattering of golden chest hairs.

"And the news story," Eric added.

"Katie is covering my shift this morning. What are we supposed to do all day while we wait?" Tris asked.

"More kissing?" Eric teasingly suggested.

"Maybe _some_ of that," Tris said.

"I was thinking about buying blinds today," Eric said. "Do you want to come with me?"

"Sure," Tris said.

.

Leaving Ava with Natalie, Tris and Eric went to Eric's home, measured the ground-floor windows, then went to the hardware store. No one bothered them, or even seemed to recognize them, so they took their time wandering down the aisles and talking about the things they wanted to do to Eric's house.

"I'd really like to do more with the home gym," Eric said, making Tris roll her eyes. "No, hear me out. Carpet in a gym is a bad idea. Sweat, carpet - it's just gross. I want to pull it up and put down something like a fake wood floor, with mats under the equipment. While I'm at it, I figure I might as well paint, and add some of that 'wall art' you're always talking about."

"What kind of wall art does one put in a home gym?" Tris asked, bumping Eric's hip with her own.

Eric threw an arm around Tris' shoulders. He was enjoying the normalcy of their shopping trip and spending time with his girl. "Well, first of all, I can't forget my favorite wall art, a TV," he said. "For another thing, I'd like a big mirror on the free weights side. The closet, doors, and window take up a lot of the wall space, too. So I'll really just need something for the wall by the bathroom door, and maybe some smaller things.

"Naked girly posters?" Tris teased.

"Are you offering to pose?" Eric said, leaning down to nibble on Tris' ear.

Tris squealed and pulled away, but Eric pulled her close again.

The store had to order the blinds for Eric's patio door, but they did carry something for his living room window. The couple also bought faux-wood laminate flooring, a large mirror, and paint for the home gym. Since they were there, they also picked up some color swatches to consider for the master bedroom and bath.

Back at the Priors', they shared a relaxed lunch with Caleb, who had just returned home from a very early shift mowing at the golf course, and Natalie, who had enjoyed what she called her "grandma time" with Ava. They talked about Eric's home improvement plan, and Caleb offered to help him pull up the carpet and lay the laminate flooring. They agreed to get started on the project that afternoon.

When the boys left to start ripping up carpet, Tris put Ava in the exersaucer and helped Natalie clean up the kitchen.

"I miss our lunches together," Tris told her mom. "During the school year we had quiet lunch together every day, but now I have work, and Eric, and everything else going on. We don't get to do that anymore."

"I miss our mother-daughter time, too," Natalie said. "Things were certainly simpler then."

"And quieter," Tris laughed as Ava squealed.

Natalie laughed too, and Ava started clapping. "One thing you learn as your kids grow up is that it's perfectly normal to miss the past while loving the present," Natalie said nostalgically. "How fondly I remember you and Caleb with soft, round cheeks and chubby little hands like Ava. I have moments when I miss those days, but I also know how nice it is when your kids are potty trained, when they can read, and when they can drive. Now I'm learning how nice it is when your daughter finds a good man who will protect her and support her."

"You don't think I'm, I don't know, too young?" Tris asked.

"Your father and I were twenty and twenty-one when we got married," Natalie pointed out. "So I'm not one to push someone to wait when they've found the right one. I don't want you married at eighteen, necessarily, but you're raising a baby already. I don't know. Your dad and I like Eric and we support the two of you together. That's all I'm saying."

"Thanks Mom," Tris said, leaning her head on Natalie's shoulder as they worked side-by-side at the sink.

"Do you think I could, um, you know, make a doctor appointment soon?" Tris asked nervously. "Eric and I haven't… haven't had... sex or anything yet, but we'll get there, and I, uh, I just want to be ready."

Natalie smiled at her daughter. She found it sweet how Tris was so uncomfortable with intimacy and yet so open to sharing that part of her thoughts and feelings with her mother.

"I think that's a good idea," Natalie said calmly. "At your age you should have a pelvic exam anyway, and you can get on birth control. It takes about a month for the pill to be effective, so it's good to think about it ahead of time. If you and Eric decide you're ready sooner, though, you'll have to take other measures."

Tris sighed. "Eric is ready now," she mumbled, chewing on her bottom lip.

Natalie was concerned by her daughter's statement. She thought Eric was gentler and more patient than that. "Has he been pushing you?" Natalie asked.

Tris shook her head. "No," she said. "But he doesn't have to. I know he wants more."

"Is this about last weekend?" Natalie asked.

"Kind of," Tris said. "Mostly I think I'm still bothered by his experience. I want more - I want him. How can I ask for _more_, but not _everything_? He called me a… a tease, Mom, and I still hear that in my head when we kiss. I feel like I'll be teasing and disappointing him until I give in."

"Have you talked to Eric about this?" Natalie asked.

"A little bit," Tris said. "He keeps reassuring me that he's fine with waiting, and he won't push me. I appreciate that and everything, but I know his feelings are hurt by my fear. The thing is, it's not about him. I'm not afraid of Eric. I know he won't hurt me."

"Then what are you afraid of?" Natalie asked gently.

Tris dropped her gaze to the floor and shrugged. Natalie hung up the towel she was using and put her arms around Tris, pulling her in for a hug. "My sweet girl," Natalie said. "You are everything that man could want. You are beautiful, and sweet, and loving. He is patient with you because you're worth waiting for, and also because sex isn't something to rush into."

"I'm worried about you, though," Natalie continued, holding Tris at arms length so she could look her in the eyes. "I'm not worried about your ability to meet Eric's expectations. I'm not even worried about him pressuring you. I am worried that you don't feel comfortable talking with him about this. You need to be honest and open with him. You can't build a strong relationship - and you sure as hell better not have sex - with someone you can't talk to about the hard topics."

"Oh Mama," Tris said. "What if he realizes I'm not worth it? What if he breaks up with me?" She dropped her head to her mother's shoulder and began to sob. Natalie wrapped her arms around her daughter again and let her cry.

"He's… just… so, so… amazing!" Tris sobbed. "He's handsome, and smart, and a good father. He has a house, and a good job. He's got all this… experience, and… and he could have any girl he wanted. I'm just plain, and flat, and my life has all this drama. He's going to get sick of me, and it's going to crush me. I just… I love him, Mom!"

Natalie tried not to laugh at her over-wrought daughter. It was obvious to her that the stress of everything was catching up with Tris, so Natalie just held her and let her cry.

After a few minutes, Ava began to fuss. Tris swiped at her eyes and took a shaky breath before stepping out of her mother's embrace to pick up the baby.

"I'll make a bottle," Natalie said gently.

When the bottle was ready, Tris took the baby to the family room to feed her. When Natalie peeked at them a bit later, she was not surprised to find them both sound asleep, curled up together in the recliner.

.

Over at Eric's house, work began on the home improvement project. Eric and Caleb installed blinds on the living room window, then Caleb pulled the carpet out of the home gym's closet while Eric moved the equipment out of the room. When the room was empty, the two men worked together to roll up the carpet and carry it down two flights of stairs to the unfinished basement.

Eric and Caleb worked in companionable silence for the most part, interrupted only by random comments or to ask for a tool. They decided that it would be best to paint before installing the new flooring, so they prepared the room by taping the woodwork and removing the covers from the light switches and power outlets.

The quiet was interrupted by the ringing of Eric's phone. When he saw that it was Max, he took the call.

"Hey Max," Eric greeted.

"Eric!" Max said. "Good news. Your girl's plan worked. Harrison and I met with Veronica a little bit ago. We showed her the video of Tris and the lie detector test. She's convinced of your innocence, but just like Tris thought, she wanted a copy of the video. I could practically see the wheels turning in her head. Tris is right, she would have showed that video to reporters, and it would have ended up on the internet like a celebrity sex tape! Anyway, Harrison was a good distraction. We told her about the magazine and the news interview, then we got out of there!"

"Thank you, Max," Eric said.

"Don't get too excited," Max said. "You may be innocent, but you're still on Roth's shit list. She _hates_ bad publicity. She and Jeanine want nothing less than excellence and compliments at Factions. They barely tolerate Dauntless as it is. If we didn't bring them winning sports teams and famous alumni, I'm not sure they would keep us around.

"Tris choosing Dauntless over Erudite four years ago pissed off Jeanine - bad. You should have seen her ranting and raving about what a waste it was and how Tris should be forced to join Erudite for the 'greater good.' She's been bitching about it to her bestie, Veronica, all these years. Now you and this whole situation have added fuel to that fire."

"Great," Eric said wryly. "As long as Tris is safe and that video isn't in Veronica's hands, that's what matters. We'll have to be on our toes and have a really clean school year to stay off her radar as much as possible."

"Good luck with that!" Max laughed. "We are Dauntless after all."

The two men spoke for another minute or so, then ended the call so Eric could go back to work with Caleb.

By the time the room was prepped it was late afternoon. They knew they didn't have time to paint a whole room before dinner, so they cleaned up and Caleb drove Tris' car home while Eric took his truck.

When the young men arrived at the Priors' home, they noticed a strange car parked on the street in front of the house. Eric eyed the vehicle distrustfully as he climbed out of his truck.

"Eric!" a voice called. Eric recognized Bud, the photographer who had done the pictures for the magazine article.

"Bud," Eric greeted the man, shaking hands with the photographer. "It's good to see you."

"I'm glad you came while I was still here," Bud said. "I rang the bell, but no one answered. I have some things for you."

"We've had some issues with reporters," Eric explained. "We haven't been answering the doors because of it. Tris was home, though. I'm surprised she didn't answer since she would recognize you. Maybe she went somewhere."

"I brought copies of the magazine," Bud said, "and some pictures from the photoshoot, too."

"Come in the house," Eric offered. "I'll introduce you to Caleb, Tris' brother. Their mom might be here, too."

Bud agreed and removed several boxes from the trunk of his car. He followed Eric through the open garage door and into the Priors' home.

"Hey Eric!" Natalie called from the kitchen. "Tris and Ava are asleep in the family room. I'm just working on dinner."

"Ok," Eric called. "There's someone I'd like you to meet when you have a minute."

Natalie appeared in the doorway, a smile on her face and a kitchen towel in her hands. "Hello," she greeted Bud cordially. "I'm Natalie Prior."

"This is Bud," Eric said as the two shook hands. "He's a photographer. He did the photoshoot for Chicagoland Magazine."

"I brought over some copies of the magazine," Bud explained, "and some prints from the shoot. I know Tris was eager to get some pictures."

"That's so kind," Natalie said with a smile. "Why don't you take them in the dining room, and I'll get you something to drink. Would you like coffee, water, or iced tea?"

"Tea would be great, thank you," Bud said.

"Certainly," Natalie said. "Eric?"

Eric asked for the same, and led Bud to the dining room. Natalie followed a moment later with two glasses of iced tea and a sugar bowl.

"Let me call Caleb and check on Tris and Ava," Natalie said. "I know Tris will want to see this right away."

Natalie walked into the family room where Tris and Ava still slept. She gently lifted the baby from Tris's chest and held her close so she would stay asleep. "Tris," Natalie said quietly, trying to wake her daughter, but not wake the baby. "Tris, you need to get up. Eric and Caleb are back, and Bud is here with the magazine."

"Mmmm," Tris mumbled. "I fell asleep."

Natalie smiled indulgently. "I know, Sweetheart," she said. "You needed it. Should we go see the article?"

Tris nodded as she hauled herself out of the chair and followed Natalie to the dining room.

"Hey, Sleepy Head," Eric greeted Tris. He was alarmed by her red-rimmed eyes and tear-stained cheeks. It was obvious that she had been crying. He wanted to comfort her and ask what had upset her, but Eric knew that bringing it up in front of their guest was not a good idea. Instead, he slid his chair back and motioned for Tris to come to him.

Tris nodded at Eric, then greeted Bud warmly as she sat on her boyfriend's lap. "I understand you've brought the magazine," Tris said to Bud.

"I did," he replied, opening the paperboard box on the top of his pile. "I heard about the crap that CelebWatch site posted, and I brought you some other surprises as well."


	23. Chapter 23

Bud handed them copies of the latest issue of Chicagoland Magazine, and it was quiet for a minute as they flipped the pages to find their article.

"Aww," Tris exclaimed as she arrived at the correct page first. "Bud, these pictures are great!"

Caleb came downstairs, fresh from the shower. They introduced him to Bud and handed him a copy of the magazine. For a few minutes it was quiet in the room as Bud watched them read the article. He looked at each face around the table. Caleb looked thoughtful. Eric was resolute. Natalie had a soft look on her face and kept glancing down at Ava, who was starting to stir against her chest.

Tris was a whirlwind of emotions. One second she gazed lovingly at a photo, and the next second she looked pained. Anger, resolve, and nostalgia each took a turn on her expressive face.

The magazine had used four pictures with the article. The first was a shot from Tris' cell phone camera of her holding newborn Ava on the day she found her. The others were all from the photoshoot. One was a picture of obviously thriving baby Ava with a big drooling smile and fat rolls on full display. She was wearing her one-piece chambray jumper and sitting on the wood floor of the studio, a brick wall out of focus in the background. Another picture showed Eric with Ava in his arms. He was nuzzling his face into her neck as she laughed. The last picture in the magazine showed a closeup of Eric and Tris from the back, his arm around her waist and Ava grinning over their shoulders.

The photos perfectly complemented the story told in the magazine article. Jessica had written about Tris' incredible discovery and rescue of the abandoned infant, and talked about how the Prior family had taken in the foundling as a foster child. "We knew she wouldn't be with us for long," Tris was quoted in the article. "I just wanted her to be cared for, and to feel loved while she was with us. Whatever her future held, I wanted her to know that she was precious and deserved to be loved whole-heartedly."

From there, the article transitioned to Eric's story. It talked about the loss and betrayal he suffered at the hands of his ex. "Addiction is horrible," he said in a quote, "it makes people do desperate, reckless things." It went on to explore his feelings when he learned that his daughter was alive after all, and was the very foster baby he had held in his friends' home.

The article told how the Priors had helped Eric prepare for Ava's homecoming, and how he and Tris had developed a deep and unique bond through their experience. "She's an incredible person," Eric was quoted as saying. "As she and her family helped me through everything, we became friends, and I developed feelings for her. Recently I asked her to be my girlfriend. I went from thinking I had lost everything to finding my daughter and a wonderful woman with whom I could share the journey."

Eric was the first to finish reading. "Really well done," he said to Bud as he reached around Tris to set his magazine on the table.

"They put it on the website and social media pages, too," Bud explained. "You should be able to share it, or post the link as a response to any more nasty rumors."

"Thank you, Bud," Tris said in a choked voice as she finished reading. Caleb and Natalie nodded in agreement, and Eric put his arms around Tris to pull her close again.

"I brought you something else, too," Bud said, opening another paperboard box and digging under some white tissue paper. The first thing he pulled out was a small flash drive and a CD in a plastic sleeve. "Copies of the pictures from the photoshoot," he explained. "You can't submit them for publication or display anywhere, but you can use them for yourself. There's a small watermark on each picture, and that has to stay, but you can have prints made if you want, and you can use them on your own social media pages as long as the watermark stays to show copyright."

"Bud!" Tris exclaimed. "Are you serious? I was just hoping to be able to see some of the pictures, and you're just giving them to us?"

Bud chuckled. "As long as you obey the rules," he cautioned her. "No removing the watermark, and only for your own personal use. If you decide you want to put them in a book or another publication, you'd have to call me and go through a whole mess. But if it's just for you and your family, you're welcome to print and enjoy."

"Thank you so much," Natalie added. "After the photoshoot Beatrice was lamenting that we've never had professional photos taken of Ava. At first we thought she would just be with us for a week. Then it was going to be a little longer and, well, we just never got it done with all the uncertainty and transition she's already had in her little life."

"She was a joy to work with," Bud said. "Babies can be tough, but Ava was happy and smiley, and an all-around joy. It doesn't hurt that she's so dang cute, either."

Everyone agreed, and Eric beamed with pride.

Bud dug a little more in the box in front of him and pulled out a pile of what looked like paper. "Here's the legal release," he said, handing Tris and Eric a sheet of Chicagoland Magazine stationary. "It's just the rules I told you about, and it also gives you permission for prints. Hold on to it, because you might be asked when you have prints made. And here," he laid down the other papers in his hands, "are some printed photos from your shoot."

Tris gasped at the stack of 8x10 photos on thick, glossy paper. Caleb reached for them and Tris swatted his hand away, making Eric laugh. She snatched up the whole pile and leaned back against Eric's chest. Together they exclaimed over each picture, handing them to Caleb and Natalie one-by-one as they looked through all of them.

Tris' favorite was a picture of Eric and Ava together. It showed Eric from the back, reaching down to help Ava stand on her own wobbly legs. He looked good, his muscular form highlighted by his short-sleeved shirt, and his arm tattoos on full display. Ava was all chunky legs and golden curls in her cute little aqua and coral dress.

Eric's favorite was a picture of all three of them together. Tris was holding Ava, and Eric's arms were around Tris, his lips pressed to her forehead and her eyes closed. While the baby was all bright eyes and big smile, Tris looked peaceful and content, and Eric's love for his girls showed on his face.

As they flipped to the next picture, Bud pointed at it. "The news used that one," he said. It showed Tris holding Ava again, but this time Eric was bent down to kiss his daughter on the head, his hand over Tris' on the baby's back, while the two girls smiled at each other.

"Have you seen the news segment?" Tris asked nervously.

Bud shook his head. "I just know that's the picture they asked to use," he said.

Ava woke up smiling at everyone. They laughed and chatted, and the little girl happily complied when Bud wanted to hold her. Natalie invited the photographer to stay for dinner, but he declined.

Through it all, Tris was pleasant enough, but she seemed low-energy and stayed close to Eric, almost clinging to him. For his part, Eric held Tris as much as she wanted. He stroked her hair, rubbed circles on her back, and snuck little kisses to her neck when no one else was looking. She absorbed his affection like a sponge.

When Bud left, Natalie went to the kitchen to finish dinner, and Caleb took Ava upstairs for a diaper change. Eric kissed Tris and looked her in the eyes. "What's bothering you, Duchess?" he asked.

Tris shrugged. "I've just felt off all day," she admitted.

"Are you coming down with something?" Eric asked.

"I don't think so," Tris said. "I'm just overwhelmed. Jim called. He doesn't want me to go back to work until Monday. I guess there were gawkers who came in to see if I was working today. He said he would get some copies of the magazine at the restaurant and hopefully the story will fizzle by Monday."

"Max called me," Eric said. He related their conversation to Tris, and she seemed relieved that Principal Roth didn't get her hands on the video of the polygraph exam.

"Can I ask you a question?" Tris asked.

"Of course," Eric said, still concerned.

"Can I… do you think… I mean... Can I go home with you tonight?" Tris asked. "Mom thinks I need to work on talking to you about the things that scare me or make me uncomfortable, but I don't want to do that here with everyone around."

"You can talk to me about anything," Eric insisted. "And you're always welcome at my place. I love you."

Caleb returned with Ava, and Natalie announced that dinner was ready. She served dinner buffet-style so they could fill their plates in the kitchen then gather around the television in the family room.

As the six o'clock news came on, Tris put Ava in the exersaucer to contain the little one, then fed her pureed squash and carrots. Caleb and Eric ate their own dinner hungrily while the news anchors droned on about the day's headlines.

"Coming up after the break, our Jane Andrews introduces us to an incredible young woman who picked up what she thought was a piece of trash and found a priceless treasure," the host said before a commercial break.

Tris sighed, trying to quell her nerves, and offered Ava another bite of baby food. Eric rubbed Tris' shoulder, and she glanced over at him. He offered her a reassuring smile, which she tried to return.

"They called my girlfriend incredible, and my daughter a treasure," Eric said lightly. "So far, so good."

When the commercials ended, the news anchor welcomed Jane Andrews, and Jane introduced the story. "Last December, Tris Prior was just an ordinary high school senior until she made an incredible discovery."

The pre-made video began playing. It opened with a shot of the trashcan and bus stop as Jane's voice explained how Tris found Ava. An image of Tris with the newborn appeared, then the story cut to her interview in the new church lobby.

"She was just so tiny," Tris said on the television. "She was beautiful, and perfect, and tiny, and I couldn't believe that someone had just thrown her out like that."

Jane's voice continued to tell the story as images of Ava with the Priors appeared on the screen. The story transitioned to Eric finding out about the baby, and the Prior family rallying to help him bring his daughter home. Eric's part of the story was told through video of Eric talking with Tris standing beside him with Ava in her arms.

The story ended with the still photo from the magazine photoshoot, and Jane concluded as she turned it back over to the news team. "As I'm sure you can imagine," Jane said to the host, "Tris and Eric have become quite close through all of this. I understand they've recently begun a dating relationship, as well."

"It's incredible to think of how differently that could have turned out," the anchor said, her voice full of emotion.

"It sure is," Jane agreed. "Tris said she thinks about that a lot. She believes that it was nothing short of divine intervention that put her in the right place at the right time."

"Quite the story," the male anchor agreed before transitioning to the meteorologist for the night's weather forecast.

Tris' phone rang at the conclusion of the segment. She looked perturbed until she saw the caller ID on the screen.

"Hi Dad," she answered happily.

"Sweetpea," Andrew greeted his daughter. "I saw the magazine and the news story. You did a great job! How are you feeling about everything?"

"Honestly," Tris replied, "I'm tired of the attention. The stories were both really well done, though. I couldn't have asked for more than that. Bud brought us magazines this afternoon, and he gave us a bunch of the photos from the shoot, too. They're really nice."

"I look forward to seeing them," Andrew said. "I'm assuming Eric is there?"

"He is," Tris replied.

"Can I speak to him quickly?"

Tris handed her phone to Eric, and the young man greeted Tris' father. He listened quietly for a moment before he began to reply. "I'm not sure," Tris heard him say. "Tired."

"A little, I don't know, off."

"No…"

"I'll do that."

"No, thank you."

"I wouldn't have it any other way; you know that."

"Alright. Have a good night."

He hung up and passed the phone back to Tris.

"What did he want to talk about?" Tris asked.

"The interviews," Eric said. "You haven't eaten, Tris. Go get some dinner; I'll get Ava cleaned up."

When Tris left the room, Caleb spoke up. "What else did Dad say to you?"

"He's worried about Tris," Eric said. "He feels guilty for all the press and attention she's been getting. Also, Natalie, Andrew is going to call you in a bit."

"Thank you, Eric," Natalie said.

"Tris asked to come home with me and Ava tonight. Is that okay with you guys?" Eric asked, trying to be nonchalant and friendly but honestly not caring what their options were. If Tris wanted to go home with him for some time alone, she was getting just that.

"That's just fine," Natalie assured him. Caleb just shrugged.

.

Once they were back at Eric's place, Tris gave Ava a bath and got her ready for bed. She prepared a bottle and sat down in the nursery rocker to feed the baby.

"I love you, Ava Hope," Tris said to the baby. Ava smiled around the bottle nipple in her mouth. "You are one of the best things to ever happen to me. I'm tired of all the attention to my personal life, but you're worth it. Your daddy is worth it. My dad is worth it, too. Your papa is going to be a senator and be able to help so many people."

Ava stared adoringly at Tris, and Tris returned the infant's affectionate gaze. "I never dreamed of the ways you would change my life," Tris said. "When I found you, I just hoped you would live and find a loving family. In my wildest imagination I never thought I would be part of that family. You are mine, Ava. We belong to each other, don't we?"

The baby smiled again. It was obvious that she loved Tris and was enjoying the attention, even if she couldn't possibly understand what she was talking about.

"Now," Tris continued. "What about your daddy? I love him, Sunshine. I love him so much it scares me. He's so good to me, and I want to give him more - I want more - but I don't know if I'm ready for _everything_. He called me a cocktease, Sunshine. I feel icky saying that in front of you, but you're too young to understand or repeat it. Of everything that happened that night, that's the one that bruised the deepest. Everything else is healed, but that bruise is still tender when it gets bumped. How am I supposed to feel confident or progress in our physical relationship when I know that everything I do is torturing him?"

Silent tears trickled down Tris' cheeks, and she tried to swipe at them with her burp cloth-clad shoulder.

"I guess the only thing I can do is to face my fears, jump off that cliff, and hope," Tris continued talking to the sleepy baby as she finished her bottle. "That scares me so bad I feel like throwing up. That's not how I imagined making love to be. But tormenting Daddy doesn't feel like love, either. I'm stuck in this weird kind of purgatory where nothing progresses, because I want it to, but I'm afraid it will go too fast and I'll lose control. That makes no sense, I'm sure, but you don't understand any of it, so that's okay."

"Actually," came a deep voice from the doorway, making Tris startle, "that makes a lot of sense. And it explains a few things."

Tris anxiously dropped her gaze, busying herself with the baby to avoid facing Eric. She put the bottle down and shifted the little one to her shoulder to burp her.

"I knew something was still bothering you," Eric said gently. "I've seen flashes of your usual self, but it's like something smothered that every time it peeked out. I thought maybe it was the unwanted media attention getting to you. Turns out it _was_ something I said."

"I'm sorry," Tris replied, still not looking at Eric.

"No," Eric replied. "I'm sorry. You have nothing to apologize for. I'm the one who planted that seed of self-doubt in you."

Tris rocked the now-sleeping baby in her arms as they stayed quiet for a moment.

"I have an idea," Eric said gently. "Will you put her down and come with me?"

Tris agreed, though her hands shook a little as she placed Ava in the crib. She followed Eric out of the nursery and across the hall to the master bedroom.

"You still have your bathing suit here," Eric reminded Tris. "If I put on trunks and you wear your suit, will you soak in the big tub with me?"

Tris nodded. Taking a bath together sounded like a big deal, but knowing they would both be in their bathing suits helped. It made it seem more like going for a swim, or sitting in a hot tub. And the way Eric had treated her to a bath when she was injured made the otherwise intimate gesture even more familiar and comfortable for Tris.

Eric brought Tris her bathing suit and took a pair of board shorts into the bathroom so he could give her privacy and start filling the bathtub while they changed.

A few minutes later, Eric was sitting on the edge of the tub, dressed in his swimming trunks and dipping his feet in the water, when Tris tapped on the door.

"Come in," he said.

Tris peeked around the door, and Eric smiled reassuringly. She entered the bathroom and mimicked his position, sitting on the edge of the bath with her feet in the water.

"So," Eric began speaking gently, "my idea."

"I thought the bath was your idea," Tris interrupted.

"The bath is just a good way for us to relax together," Eric clarified. "My real idea is a way to help you get your confidence back and help you not feel so stuck."

"Go on," Tris said.

"I was thinking that if we put a date on it - say that sex is absolutely off the table for a set amount of time - that might help you. You could gain confidence because you would know that there won't be pressure and that I'm not expecting anything.

"Tris, I'm not expecting anything. I'm not waiting for you to get over yourself and put out, as you seem to think I am. I love you, and I want to be with you in a lot more ways than just sex. I miss your affection, your bravery, and even your teasing, Duchess. I hate seeing you so afraid of me.

"If we said that for one month sex was absolutely off the table and that you were free to explore our relationship in any way you wanted, would that help you relax? I'm not saying that at the end of the month we _would_ have sex, either. I'm just saying that at the end of the month we could evaluate it again, talk about it. Do you think that would help?"

Tris shut off the faucet and walked in the knee-deep water to where Eric was sitting. She put her hands on his shoulders and nodded reassuringly when he tentatively put his hands on her hips.

"So you're saying that for one month I would be free to kiss you," she paused to kiss his forehead, "touch you," she ran her hands up and down his bare arms, "hold you," she put her arms around his neck, "and maybe even push my comfort zone and tease you? And that you wouldn't expect sex from me? You would just go along with it and maybe do some exploring of your own at my timid pace?"

"Exactly," Eric confirmed. "That's how it usually goes, Duchess. Boy likes girl, he asks her on a date. They get butterflies when they hold hands for the first time. It takes their breath away when they first kiss. Kisses get deeper, hands start to wander more and more. At some point they say I love you. We were doing all of that, and I was enjoying the journey with you. Then I got drunk and said too much and derailed the adventure we were on. I want that back. So, Duchess Beatrice Grace Prior, I hereby solemnly swear, in front of God and that rubber ducky, that I will not expect or encourage sexual intercourse with you for _at least_ the next thirty days. You are hereby free to push my buttons all you want - explore, show, tell, ask - anything, and I will understand that it is not an invitation for sex. Okay?"

Tris nodded, an eager smile on her face, then crashed her lips to Eric's in a searing kiss.


	24. Chapter 24

Tris and Eric stayed in the big bathtub until their fingers and toes pruned up. They sat with Tris' back leaned against Eric's chest. They talked, and kissed, and shared innocent touches. Tris finally admitted that Peter Hayes had been her first kiss. She hadn't wanted to tell the story after Peter attacked her at the graduation overnight party, but there in the bath with Eric, she finally felt relaxed enough to talk about it.

"We were in tenth grade," Tris said, "our second year in the Dauntless program. He wasn't bad looking, and I was fifteen and stupid. He said all the right things, paid me compliments, that kind of thing. He asked me to the fall dance at Factions, and I said yes. Our parents dropped us off because we were too young to drive."

"Peter met me at the door," she continued, and Eric could hear reluctance in Tris' voice, so he put his hands on her shoulders and started stroking her soft skin with his thumbs. "We went in, and we danced a little bit, said hi to our friends, the usual stuff. He got me some punch from the punchbowl and asked me to go for a walk with him. I agreed, and we went out to the front lawn of the school. He took me around the corner and into a dark little nook, where he grabbed me and kissed me."

"I was shocked," she continued, shaking her head at the memory. "There was no warning, so build-up, no warmth. I was just suddenly pinned to the wall and kissed, hard. When Peter pulled back he had this wicked grin on his face. He looked over his shoulder and yelled, `You owe me twenty bucks, dumbasses! I told you I could get the stiff to kiss me!' That's when Drew and Molly appeared. They all laughed at me, paid Peter for losing the bet, and took off. I was humiliated. I ran all the way home and never told anyone what happened."

Eric pressed a kiss into Tris' neck. "I'm no psychologist," he said gently, "but I'm guessing that plays into your fear of intimacy. Your first kiss was taken from you, without your control or consent, by a guy who just grabbed you for his own gain."

"Yeah," Tris said sadly. "And my first little boyfriend-girlfriend relationship ended because Robert wanted a girl with big boobs. What pisses me off the most is that neither of those guys are worth it. Neither of them mean anything to me, and I wouldn't be with either of them if you paid me good money. Yet they both managed to inflict damage I'm stuck with."

"That's the sad but true story for everyone," Eric said as he began gently massaging Tris' back and shoulders. "Our parents, friends, enemies, exes, even strangers on the street - they all write the story of our lives, even if they're not worthy of that role. Remember when that old lady was talking about me in the grocery store a while back? It took a long time for me to get over what she said, and I doubt I'll ever forget it. She struck a nerve and fed the insecurities I was already battling. I'm guessing the same is true for you and Peter. You came to Factions behind the curve. Abnegation Middle School didn't adequately prepare you for high school and the other factions. Peter preyed on that and took advantage of your lack of experience."

"Hmmm," Tris hummed, enjoying the feel of Eric's big, strong hands on her shoulders and back. "As much as I hate to say it, I think I saw some of the same things in you. Don't get me wrong, you're _nothing_ like Peter, but your experience and your age made me feel, as you put it, 'behind the curve'. I wasn't afraid that you would humiliate me, but I wasn't confident that I could keep up or meet your expectations. In a lot of ways, I'm still not."

"No expectations," Eric reiterated. "I just want to love you in whatever ways you feel comfortable being loved. I want to take care of you and show you just how precious and important you are."

"You are too good to be true," Tris said, reaching under the water to run her hands up and down Eric's muscular legs.

"Yet far less than you deserve," he replied.

.

Tris and Eric slept like the dead after their relaxing bath and heart-to-heart talk. They woke on Friday morning to the sound of Ava babbling through the baby monitor. Eric went to the nursery, changed the baby's diaper, and brought her back to his big bed, where Tris was still snuggled under the covers.

"Good morning, Sunshine," Tris greeted the little one. Ava squealed and flailed her arms and legs in response, reaching for Tris.

Eric set his daughter on the foot of the bed and watched her drag and wiggle herself into Tris' arms. Ava continued to babble and squeal as Tris gave her a good morning kiss. The little girl laughed, and dove head first into Tris' face, blowing raspberries and giving slobbery open-mouth baby kisses as she babbled happy nonsense.

"I think she likes having you here in the morning," Eric said with a laugh as he dropped down on the bed beside his girls.

Tris laughed too, and rolled so she could tickle the baby. This led to a game of peek-a-boo, and soon Ava was laughing wild baby giggles.

"She really is a very happy baby," Tris observed, giggling along with Ava. "And a good sleeper, too."

"She is well-loved, and has been since she was an hour old," Eric said, kissing Tris and Ava alternately on their cheeks.

"She was well-loved by her daddy before she was born," Tris reminded him, kissing him on the lips.

"It took her a little longer to track down the mommy she wanted, though," Eric teased.

"That word again," Tris said, rolling her eyes.

"Duchess?" Eric asked hesitantly. "Do you… Do you not want to be Ava's mommy?"

"No!" Tris exclaimed. Seeing Eric's face fall, Tris grabbed his arm. "Yes!" she tried again. "I don't know how to answer your question the way you worded it! I would be _proud_ to be Ava's mom. I love her - you know that. I don't like when you call me that because I don't want her confused."

"Tris, look at that baby," Eric said, stroking Tris' cheek.

Tris glanced down and couldn't help but smile at the chubby baby gazing at her adoringly.

"She's not confused," Eric said. "She already knows you're her mommy. Don't you, Ava? Ma-ma-ma."

"Ma-ma-ma," Ava copied.

"See," Eric said.

"Da-da-da," Tris said.

Ava smiled and latched on to the new sound. "Da-da-da," she said.

"She copies noises at this age," Tris said. "She's too young to say words on purpose."

"She might not talk, but she knows," Eric said confidently. "She knows that you're her mommy. You're the one who loves her and takes care of her. You always have been. I hope you always will be."

"Hope," Tris repeated. "That's the thing. We've officially been dating for less than a month. It seems like a stretch to confer step-motherhood on the girl you've been seeing for such a short time."

"Duchess, that's not our situation and you know it," Eric said. "For us it's more like Melinda was a surrogate and you're Ava's mom. You've had her since the day she was born. Honestly, you've been her acting parent for more of her life than I have. Now mommy and daddy are together, like a traditional family."

"The courts would laugh at your version," Tris said as she picked up Ava to go find breakfast. "Legally, I'm just her daddy's girlfriend and her former foster parents' teenage daughter."

"Screw the courts," Eric growled in frustration as he followed Tris and Ava down the stairs. "Our situation isn't normal!"

"So we're not the 'traditional family'?" Tris said, poking holes in his argument.

"I don't understand why you refuse to accept this!" Eric ranted as he watched Tris buckle Ava into the highchair. "Look at you! From the moment you found Ava, the two of you have been bound to one another. You love her. You take care of her. You understand her. I have no doubt that you would _die_ for her. She is _yours_ and you are _hers_! Your family calls themselves Grandma, Papa, and Uncle Caleb. Yet every time someone calls you her mommy, you act like you're insulted! Why?"

Tris watched Ava's face fall as her father ranted. The baby's chin quivered, and her bottom lip stuck out as tears filled her eyes.

"Those are honorary titles," Tris said, smiling at the baby and stroking her cheek to reassure her. "A child cannot have too many grandparents or uncles and aunts. I know I fill the mother role in Ava's life. I know she's my girl and we're close. But she's not my daughter. I can't legally make decisions for her or about her. If you and I broke up, you could take her away from me, and I wouldn't have a leg to stand on."

With Ava no longer threatening tears, Tris stood and walked past a stunned Eric to prepare Ava's breakfast. "Ava had a mother. As she grows up, she'll need to know about Melinda. In fact, if you have any pictures of her, it would be a good idea to print them so Ava can have them later."

"Melinda is _not_ her mom!" Eric suddenly yelled, making Tris and Ava startle. Ava began to cry, and Tris removed her from the highchair and held her close as Eric continued to yell.

"Moms don't run away and tell the father that his baby is dead! Moms don't throw their children away like garbage! Real moms don't choose drugs over their family! As far as I'm concerned, Melinda was just an egg donor!_ You_ are Ava's mom!"

At the end of his raving, Eric tossed his half-full cup of coffee into the sink roughly. Tris heard the mug break as coffee splattered up the wall and across the countertop. Eric turned and stormed back up the stairs.

Tris kept comforting Ava. "Daddy has some unresolved anger with your birth mother," she explained to the baby. Even though Ava wouldn't understand, Tris knew that her calm words would be soothing to the infant. "I think he wants me to be your mommy so he can feel like you're not missing anything. Maybe he has guilt because he made a baby with someone who isn't worthy of the title of mommy.

"I know we belong to each other, Sunshine, but 'mommy' is a heavy crown. I don't want to stir up more rumors and trouble, especially when I don't even have legal rights."

Once the baby was calmed, Tris put her back in the highchair and began feeding her. They sat in silence together for some time as Tris spooned rice cereal into Ava's mouth and the baby smacked her lips and ate heartily.

Tris was wiping Ava's face and the highchair tray when Eric came back downstairs. He was dressed for the day, and carried a large manilla envelope, which he dropped on the kitchen table beside Tris.

"There," he said.

"What's that?" Tris asked.

"A copy of my will," Eric replied. "I told you before, I named you Ava's guardian if I die. It's all right there, but what it says is that if I die or become incapacitated, Ava goes to you. Should you decline or be unable to care for her, she goes to your parents. Everything I own goes to Ava, and your dad is to be the executor of my estate and handle all of that for Ava until she's twenty-one."

"Twenty-one?" Tris asked.

"She becomes an adult at eighteen," Eric explained, "but the estate continues to provide for her education and whatnot until she's twenty-one. After that she can make financial decisions. Throwing all of that at an eighteen-year-old is a lot."

"I'm eighteen," Tris said quietly.

Eric stopped dead in his tracks and looked at Tris like he'd never seen her before. He swore quietly and dropped into a kitchen chair. Tris lifted Ava out of the highchair and put her in the jumper on the other side of the kitchen, then walked to the coffee maker and poured herself a cup.

"Is all of this too much for you?" Eric asked from the table, where he sat with his head in his hands.

Tris took a sip of coffee as she thought about the question. "Yes and no," she finally answered. "I love you, and I love Ava. If anything happened to you, I would _want_ to raise her. I don't want to lose her. But in the eyes of the law, society, and the voting public, I'm just a kid. You said it yourself, an eighteen-year-old isn't ready for that much responsibility."

"But I _know_ you," Eric countered. "You're mature, thoughtful, smart, and more than capable. I can't leave my estate to a baby not knowing what she'll be like at eighteen. A lot of the kids your age aren't mature enough to make decisions about investments or raise a baby."

"This is less about what I'm capable of or how Ava and I feel, and more about how it looks," Tris admitted. "You just referred to me and my peers as 'kids', Eric. Even you recognize that I'm only an adult on a technicality. To the people who read that article in Chicagoland Magazine or saw me on TV yesterday, I'm just a kid. To people who see me with Ava in public, I look like either a babysitter or a teen mother. I can't take Ava to the doctor, pick her up at a daycare, or enroll her in school. I can't make decisions about her treatment or care. Calling me her mom is just going to fuel trouble without actually meaning anything!"

Eric shook his head and pulled some papers out of the manilla envelope. "I want you to know that if it were up to me, I would marry you tomorrow," he said, not daring to look up at Tris and see her reaction. "You're it for me. I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to raise Ava together, and probably have a couple more kids, too. But I can't do that to you. I can't tie you down so fast, mostly because it wouldn't look good, but also because you need time to be sure that's what _you_ really want.

"The state of Illinois won't let you adopt Ava and legally co-parent because we're not married - I looked into it. You're already listed as guardian in my will, but as long as I'm alive and we're not married, there isn't really a co-custody option," Eric continued, not lifting his gaze from the papers in his hands. "This form is called an 'Appointment of Short-term Guardianship', and it gives you legal guardianship rights if I'm not available. It's not permanent like adoption, and it doesn't take Ava from me to give her to you like full guardianship, but it's the best I can do for now. I also have a power of attorney form that legally makes you my next of kin so you can make decisions for me if I can't."

Eric set the stack of papers on the table. Tris noticed his slumped and defeated posture. "Everything about our situation is unusual," he concluded. "I have no living relatives. I just have Ava, and Ava just has me. She sees you as her mother, and I see you as my partner, co-parent, and future. I hate pushing you about this. I know how young you are. I know that everyone is watching us like some kind of sideshow right now. But every time you scold me for referring to you as Ava's mom, it feels like… like rejection, and a reminder that she and I are alone in the world.

"I heard what you said to Ava when I went upstairs. I sat on the stairs and listened to you, and you were exactly right. I failed as a man and as a father when I got Melinda pregnant. I wouldn't take it back because Ava is amazing, and one of the best things that ever happened to me. But I still failed her from conception, Tris! She was nearly killed because of my choice of girlfriend and my carelessness in having unprotected sex with a woman who couldn't even take care of herself! It breaks my heart that Ava has no one to call mommy. At the same time, she isn't missing anything. Melinda didn't deserve to be Ava's mom; she proved that when she abandoned her to die. You have been Ava's real mom; you've given her everything she needs or could ever want. Yet you reject the title. I just… That just… I know it's not fair to put this on you, but it hurts!"

Tris' heart broke at Eric's words and the desperation in his voice. She set her coffee down and walked to where he sat at the table, head down, shoulders slumped, and hands resting on his lap. She wrapped her arms around him from the back and rested her chin on the top of his head.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I thought I was protecting us."

Eric lifted his hands from his lap and rested them on Tris' arms. "I know," he said.

"Can we try something?" Tris asked. "Ava won't actually be talking for a few more months, and we have just over four months until the election. What if we decided to put a date on it, like we did with sex? Until the election, you don't refer to me as Ava's mom. After that, if we're still together and you still want me in that role, I'll accept the title."

"I already know," Eric said, turning himself and pulling Tris onto his lap. "We'll still be together, and I'll still want you to accept that you're her mom. If you want me to keep it quiet until after the election, that's fine. But you have to quit saying 'if' all the time. You're it for me; don't doubt my feelings."

"Okay," Tris said, kissing Eric's neck tattoo. "I accept your offer of guardianship and power of attorney in the event that something happens to you, and after the election you can start calling me Ava's mom. Do we need to find a rubber ducky to swear on?"

Eric laughed. "What if Ava talks sooner than the election?" he asked.

"I won't correct her if she calls me Mama," Tris said. "Same for strangers in public. If someone calls me her mother, I won't say anything - unless it's a reporter or something. But in return, I expect you to stop saying it. I swear you and my mom are responsible for the rumors out there. I don't want to hurt you, but I don't want to hurt Dad's campaign, either, and I really don't like the unnecessary media attention."

"I'll do my best," Eric said. "Shall we seal it with a kiss?"

Tris pressed her lips to Eric's in a kiss that quickly became passionate. They poured all their stress, heartache, hope, and love out to one another, reveling in the expression of their feelings. Tris ran her fingers through Eric's hair as she pressed her body impossibly closer to his. Eric let his hands wander a little, stroking Tris' arms and back, and squeezing her hips. He resisted the strong urge to grab her butt or feel the silky skin under her pajama top.

"I love you," Tris said breathlessly.

Ava squealed, a frustrated noise that indicated she was growing bored with the jumper.

"I'll get her," Eric said. "You should go get dressed. I thought maybe this morning we could walk to the park for a bit, then when Ava naps I'd like to tackle the paint job in the gym. It's all prepped."

"I don't have clothes to paint in," Tris said, "but I'm happy to hang out with you and help how I can."

Eric rescued Ava from the jumper and got her ready to leave while Tris got dressed and braided her long hair. They spent a relaxed morning at the park, pushing Ava in the infant swing and trying to get her to sit in the grass without freaking out about the feel of it on her skin.

At noon, they put the baby back in her stroller and walked back to Eric's house for lunch. Tris laid Ava down for a nap, and they got to work painting the gym. Tris was dressed in a pair of Eric's boxers and a large shirt that had a tendency to slip off her shoulder and distract Eric, who would inevitably stop what he was working on to pepper kisses on the exposed skin. By the time the room was painted, Tris and Eric were both fairly well covered in paint drips and handprints, and they had to take turns showering before packing up Ava and going to the Priors' for dinner.


	25. Chapter 25

On Friday night Tris stayed at home with Natalie and Caleb. She kept Ava for the night so Eric and Caleb could get started on the gym floor right away in the morning. It was obvious that Eric was lonely without Tris and Ava. Although he stayed at the Priors' well after his daughter was put to bed for the night, and in spite of the early morning he and Caleb had planned, Eric and Tris still texted late into the night.

**E: Just got home. It's too quiet here.**

**T: You miss us?**

**E: You know I do. I always miss you when you're not here. What are you doing?**

**T: Laying in bed. I was reading, but now I'm texting with you.**

**E: Send me a pic.**

**T: Eric Coulter! Behave.**

**E: I said a pic, not a nude. Although I wouldn't object…**

**T: (pic of Tris under the covers with only her eyes and the top of her head peeking out)**

**E: Still sexy. You know I love your eyes.**

**T: And for all you know, I might be naked under the covers.**

**E: Duchess…**

**T: I'm kidding. I'm in the same PJ's I wore last night.**

**E: When you were in my bed with me**

**T: They smell like you.**

**E: Is that a good thing?**

**T: The best**

**E: This bed is too big without you.**

**T: Send me a pic.**

**E: (pic of the empty side of Eric's bed)**

**T: That picture has the same problem as my bed - YOU'RE NOT IN IT!**

**E: (pic of shirtless Eric reclining in bed)**

**T: Damn. My man is HOT!**

**E: And yet you're sleeping over there.**

**T: Sounds like somebody is jealous of my teddy bears**

**E: Insanely**

**T: (pic of Tris in her PJs with every teddy bear she could find in her closet and under the bed)**

**E: My woman is GORGEOUS. I love your legs in shorts.**

**T: I think you need a cold shower, Warrior**

**E: I love when you call me that. I think I need a warm shower while I think about yoga.**

**T: Flexibility and balance are important.**

**E: Sounds like you had a good teacher.**

**T: Dauntless only hires the best.**

**E: School won't be the same without you this year, Duchess**

**T: I hope not.**

**E: I'll miss seeing you every afternoon.**

**T: What if you came home to me after school every day?**

**E: Are you serious? Are we talking about you moving in?**

**T: Not yet**

**T: I've been looking at classes for fall. If I get in to the ones I want, I would only be on campus Monday - Thursday mornings.**

**T: In the afternoons and on Fridays I could pick up Ava from daycare and do my homework and online classes from your place.**

**T: It will save you a lot of money on daycare if you can find a place with a half day opening.**

**E: You're amazing. That would be awesome.**

**T: I try**

**E: You succeed**

**T: I love you, Warrior, but I need to get to sleep. Your daughter wakes up early.**

**E: Apparently so does your brother. He's going to be here at 7 to start installing the floor**

**T: He's used to getting up early to mow the golf course. His redeeming quality is that he usually brings food.**

**E: What are you and Ava doing tomorrow?**

**T: Shopping trip with Christina.**

**E: Don't pinch my daughter to get out of it early!**

**T: I would never! I might pinch Chris, though.**

**E: LOL**

**T: Goodnight Warrior, enjoy your shower**

**E: Oh, I will**

.

Andrew came home on Saturday, and the house buzzed with the campaign chaos that seemed to follow him everywhere. Ava was obviously happy to see her "Papa," and finally did her army crawl-wiggle to get to him.

Tris took the baby to the mall, meeting Christina and Marlene as soon as the stores opened. Both girls clambered to wear Ava in her carrier sling, so they ended up using the stroller for their purses and purchases. Over shopping and lunch the girls got caught up on their jobs, relationships, how Lynn was doing in the Marines, and all the chaos that had been following Tris. When Ava fell asleep in Tris' arms after lunch, Christina insisted on pedicures at the mall's nail salon. Tris took a selfie and sent it to Eric.

**T: (pic) Girls day at the mall. Ava shopped until she dropped, so we're getting pedicures while she sleeps.**

**E: I love my girls**

**T: How's the floor?**

**E: Almost done. We're just putting the baseboard trim back, then we have to hang the new light fixture/fan and move all the stuff back into the room.**

**T: Pic?**

**E: (pic of Caleb squatted on the floor with his crack sticking out above his pants)**

**T: Eww! Brother butt!**

**E: That was earlier. I just didn't want to suffer with that memory alone.**

**T: So you took a picture. Thanks for sharing.**

**E: (pic of empty gym with new floor done but trim missing)**

**T: That looks awesome!**

**E: Did you doubt us?**

**T: No, Caleb has a crack like a professional contractor…**

**E: (wacky tongue-out face emoji)**

**T: And you have enough muscle for both of you.**

**E: (kissy face emoji)**

"What are you doing over there, Miss Tris?" Marlene asked.

"Sexting her man, probably," Christina said.

"I am not," Tris huffed. "Although this one pic he sent does show off a bit much...:"

"Ooh, let's see!" Marlene said excitedly.

Tris made the picture of Caleb with his butt sticking out of his pants full-screen and showed it to the girls.

"Ewww!" Christina squealed, and Marlene laughed.

"I see enough of Uri's crack," she joked. "That boy hates belts, but he needs one!"

.

When Tris and Ava made it back to Eric's house, Caleb was already gone for the day. Eric showed off the newly finished home gym, and Tris complimented the work that her boyfriend and brother had completed.

"I ordered some wall art, too," Eric said sheepishly.

"Why do you seem nervous?" Tris teased. "Did you find a centerfold big enough to fill that blank wall?"

"You know you're the only woman I want to look at," Eric said. "And you refused to pose, so no girls."

He swiped at his phone screen for a few minutes, then showed it to Tris. "I ordered this TV and the wall mount for it," he began. "It goes over there, by the treadmill. We got the big wall mirror at the hardware store, and after the paint has a few days to cure, that will go here, by the free weights. And this," he said, swiping to a picture of a big orange and navy Chicago Bears wall hanging that looked like a stylized American flag, "is for the blank wall behind us. What do you think? Is it dumb? Do you hate it?"

"Why would I hate it?" Tris asked. "It's very 'man cave - home gym'. If you wanted to hang it above the bed I might object, but that will look cool in here."

She thought about Eric's upcoming birthday and decided to find some more fan decor for the other small blank wall. Although they half-heartedly joked about Tris' preference for the White Sox while Eric cheered for the Cubs, they both loved the Chicago Bears football team and the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team. And seeing as how Eric was a hockey coach, Tris decided to find something Blackhawks related for the last blank wall.

"Earth to Tris," Eric said.

"Sorry," Tris said. "I got distracted. What were you saying?"

"Just asking about dinner," Eric said. "Did you have something in mind, or should I order a pizza?"

.

After dinner and Ava's bedtime ritual, Eric and Tris decided to relax with a movie. Both were tired from the emotional week and their busy day, so they kept it simple and cuddled up on the couch. When the movie got slow they did a little making out, but Eric was careful not to let himself take it further than Tris was leading. She let her hands wander under Eric's shirt to his abs and strong back, so he did the same, gently stroking the skin of her back under her tank top, but stopping there.

Much to Eric's disappointment, Tris insisted on going home for the night. Sunday was Father's Day, and Eric and Ava would be with the Priors for church, a barbecue, and a full day of family time, so they wouldn't be apart for long.

.

The Prior family had breakfast together in their kitchen, just like they had for most of Tris and Caleb's lives. Regardless, as they looked around the table, all four of them felt like something was missing.

"The only thing certain is change," Andrew said to his family. "First it was just your mom and I, and we felt complete. Then we were complete with Caleb. When Beatrice was born we felt like that was our complete family. Now Eric and Ava are a part of us, and I have to admit that it feels incomplete without them."

Tris smiled. She loved the way her family loved and accepted Eric and Ava. From Natalie providing free childcare, to Caleb helping with the home gym, and Andrew giving advice and support, the whole family had rallied around them and welcomed them with open arms.

The family was reunited with its baby and baby-daddy at church. Their many friends there always enjoyed the way Ava reacted when she saw Tris. The baby squealed and wiggled, nearly jumping out of Eric's arms as she reached for her surrogate mother. Tris took Ava into her arms and greeted Eric with a chaste kiss before the family went into the sanctuary.

Everyone liked to chat with Andrew when he made it to church. Friends, well-wishers, and locals with problems and concerns stopped their state representative and Senate candidate to talk. Before service and after, Andrew was busy.

Tris, Eric, and Ava got a lot of attention that week, too. Church ladies who had known Tris her whole life stopped to hug her and pat Ava. Eric was hugged as well. Several people commented on what a beautiful family the three of them were. One older lady even asked them to autograph her copy of Chicagoland Magazine.

The Pedrads were there. Hana wished Eric a happy Fathers Day, then tried to get Ava to come to her, but the baby was overwhelmed by all the attention and clung to Tris. Zeke greeted Tris, then thumped Eric on the back.

"I'm glad to see the two of you get the spotlight off me!" Zeke said.

"Oh shut it," Eric said, elbowing his friend. "You love the cameras and the attention."

Zeke shrugged. "Guilty," he said.

Tris rode home with Eric and Ava in his truck, then she fed Ava her baby food while Eric started the grill. Ava was still eating when the rest of the family got home. Natalie took over the lunch preparations while the men gathered around the grill.

Ava was fussy from her overstimulating morning, so Tris took her upstairs for her nap as soon as she finished eating. It took longer than usual to get the baby settled.

.

Out by the grill, the men talked about the work Eric and Caleb had done to Eric's home. They talked about the soon-ending legislative session, then about the Senate campaign.

"Your magazine article and news interview have made quite the stir," Andrew said to Eric. "My campaign team is thrilled with how they turned out."

"That reminds me," Eric said. "Tris is quite eager to show you the other photos Bud gave us."

"Oh yeah," Caleb said. "They're really good. And that photographer was hilarious. Even Ava loved him."

"I met him at the shoot," Andrew said. "Bud was great. I'm glad everything turned out so well. In fact, I saw Governor Eaton on Friday. He commented on the article and suggested a little photo op get-together."

Eric stiffened. "We'll, um, we'll have to talk about it, I guess," he said.

Andrew eyed Eric shrewdly but didn't say anything. He just flipped the steaks on the grill.

When the food was ready and Ava was asleep, the five adults sat down to their dinner. Andrew offered Eric a glass of wine. When he turned it down, Tris beamed at him. One glass of wine would not have caused a problem, but Eric knew that he was still rebuilding with Tris, and he knew he made the right choice when he saw her reaction. He would do anything to see her face light up like that.

The family talked and laughed over dinner. Tris and Caleb teased one another in their sibling way. Andrew and Natalie watched their family with love and pride.

After dinner, Eric and Andrew were ordered to relax while the others cleaned up. After all, they insisted, it was Father's Day. Andrew invited Eric back to his study.

"Sorry to be blunt," Andrew said when they arrived in the home office, "but what was that when I was talking about you meeting the governor?"

"I, uh, well," Eric stammered. "I don't know how close you are with him, but, um, I think you should be careful."

"That's rather cryptic," Andrew replied.

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. "I brought you both some iced tea," Tris said after Andrew invited her in. "Is everything okay in here?"

"We were just talking about Governor Eaton," Andrew said, watching their reactions. "He wants to sit down with the three of you to honor you for your bravery and have a little photo op."

Tris rolled her eyes. "Daddy," she said as she dropped onto the little loveseat beside Eric. "You know I'm not a big fan of Marcus. I really don't want to drive all the way to Springfield just to have my picture taken with a guy who lives like two miles away."

"It seems Eric also has some concerns," Andrew said. "I was hoping he would elaborate."

"Yeah," Eric said. "So, um, here's the thing, I'm not sure how much I can say, because this isn't really my story to tell."

"Nothing leaves this room," Andrew said. Tris nodded in agreement as she took Eric's hand.

"Do you guys know Marcus' son, Tobias?" Tris shook her head, then paused. She briefly remembered the boy from when they were very young.

"We haven't seen Tobias since he was a young boy," Andrew said sadly. "He really struggled after his mother died. He blamed his father for her death since it was caused by an ectopic pregnancy and he wasn't there to save her. Very tragic."

Eric snorted. "That's Marcus' version of the story," he said. "Tobias tells that very differently."

"You know him?" Tris asked.

"We met in college," Eric said. "He was my roommate freshman year. I knew who he was because it was on all the university paperwork when they introduced roommates and stuff like that. On campus, he used a nickname. He didn't want to be associated with his father."

Eric took a sip of his tea. "He never talked about his family," Eric continued. "Not a word. Not ever. He was a complete mystery and I kept his true identity to myself. He was a good student, a great athlete, and we became good friends.

"One day he was really agitated, and when I asked him what was bothering him, he told me that he had been 'summoned' to see his father. When he returned just before curfew, he was limping and bruised. He claimed that he had fallen, but I knew something was off.

"I offered him a drink. I, uh, I had a fake ID and a bad partying habit, so I had liquor hidden in the dorm room. One drink became two, then three, and soon Tobias was wasted and talking.

"He confessed that he was limping and bruised because his father, whom he referred to by first name only, had hit and kicked him. He told me that his father had been beating him since he was nine years old, and that before that he had spent many nights locked in a small closet while his father beat his mom. He even claimed that Marcus had killed his wife by beating her to death, and that Marcus had associates helping with his involvement in illegal activities like selling pardons and keeping the governor supplied with prostitutes."

"That's horrible!" Tris exclaimed, instinctively curling into herself and drawing closer to Eric.

"I've heard the abuse rumors," Andrew said. "I had no idea Tobias started them. It's sad that things would deteriorate so much between a father and son that he would make up stories like that."

"I've seen the scars that criss-cross Tobias' back," Eric interjected. "After he told me about his father, he finally started changing clothes in our dorm room. Before that he never took his shirt off anywhere but a locked bathroom stall. I introduced him to my tattoo artist, and she did a full back tattoo on him to cover the scars."

"You think he was telling the truth?" Andrew asked, still skeptical that the man he had worked with for years could have been a sadistic monster behind closed doors.

"I do," Eric confirmed. "Tobias wasn't out starting rumors. He never told anyone but me, and I've never told anyone but the two of you. If he wanted to cause trouble for Marcus, why would he hide his identity? Why would he hide his scars? Why wouldn't he say something? How did he allegedly start these rumors by keeping quiet?"

"He told you," Andrew pointed out. "Maybe he had a few drinks at a party and told a similar story to someone else."

Eric shook his head. "We've been friends for over three years now, and I've never seen him take a drop of alcohol before that night or since. I'm not asking you to do anything, Andrew. I'm not even asking you to believe me. I'm telling you this because I want you to be careful. If he gets caught for whatever is going on behind closed doors, I don't want you getting sucked down by the whirlpool. And you and Tris can make your own decisions, but I won't bring Ava anywhere near him."

Andrew sat in stunned silence. Tris drew herself closer to Eric and he wrapped his arms around her.

"I won't go either," Tris said. "If I see him at an event, I'll be nice, but I won't go to Springfield, and I won't bring Ava anywhere near him."

Eric heard the venom in Tris' voice. She was a crusader when she got worked up, and Eric knew that she would do anything to keep Ava safe. He kissed the top of her head.

"I don't know what to say," Andrew finally said. "Marcus and I are in the same political party. We've worked together for years. I respect your decision to not meet with him, but I'm going to reserve judgment until I look into this some more."

"That's fair," Eric said. "I'm sure this is a shock."

Andrew nodded. "Where is Tobias now?" he asked. "Is he still in school?"

"No," Eric replied. "He graduated early, when I did. He moved out of the state after graduation."

"I don't remember seeing him at graduation," Andrew mused. "I'm sure I would have noticed that name, even in the sea of graduates."

"He didn't participate in the ceremony," Eric explained. "He told our friends that he had a family conflict. Only I knew that his family _was_ the conflict."

Tris gasped and put her hands over her mouth. She remembered Eric saying those words to her on the day of his graduation. _He had a family conflict. Is Four Tobias Eaton?_ she wondered.

She looked up at Eric, and he nodded in confirmation.


	26. Chapter 26

When Ava woke from her nap, the family gathered on the back patio for dessert and gifts. Eric and Andrew loved the paintings Tris and Ava made for Father's Day. They even made a small one for Caleb, or 'Uncle Bub-bub' as Tris called him in his card.

Tris also gave Andrew a card, and a pair of photos from the photoshoot in a double frame that he could display on his desk. The photo on the left featured Tris, Eric, and Ava together. Tris chose it because she remembered Andrew working to get Ava to smile for that photo, so she knew that the big, genuine smiles on all three of their faces were due to Andrew's antics. The photo on the right was a close-up of Ava.

"My granddaughter is very photogenic," Andrew commented.

"Bud complimented her too," Tris bragged. "He said that she was really easy to work with."

"Six months old and already an artist and a model," Natalie joked, smiling at the baby bouncing on her lap.

"I can't believe she's six months old already," Tris said. "In some ways it feels like she's always been here, and in other ways it feels like just yesterday that I first held her in my arms. I swear I'm going to cry at her first birthday."

"Spoken like a true mother," Natalie said. "I remember crying when you took your first steps. That feels like only yesterday, and now you're the one raising a baby."

Eric put an arm around Tris and pulled her close. He agreed with Natalie, but said nothing. After all, he had agreed to not call Tris 'mommy' until after the election. But he liked the words Natalie used; Tris might not be Ava's 'real' mother, but she was the baby's 'true' mother.

Tris had more than just the painting to give Eric, but she saved the rest of her gift and gave it to him when he was packing Ava into the truck to go home.

"Happy Father's Day, Warrior," Tris said, blushing as she handed him a fat envelope.

"What's this?" Eric asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Tris shrugged. "Just a little something for my baby daddy," she said in a teasing voice as she placed a hand on Eric's broad chest.

"Why Duchess," Eric said as he wrapped his arms around his girlfriend. "Should I open it now?"

"Nope," Tris said. "Wait until you put your daughter to bed."

"Will you come over tomorrow?" Eric asked in a husky voice.

"I work until four o'clock," Tris said, kissing the underside of Eric's jaw. "If you offered me dinner, I might make it work."

"You're kind of flirty tonight, aren't you, Duchess?" Eric said. Tris only shrugged in response. "Makes me wish I was taking you home with me. You need to be tickled."

"And spanked?" Tris suggested, affecting an innocent face and fluttering her lashes at Eric.

He groaned. "You're very tempting," he said, and kissed her forehead. "I love that you're mine," he pecked her cheek, "and I'm very eager to explore more ways to love you." He pecked her other cheek, then pulled away when Tris tried to kiss his lips.

She stuck out her bottom lip in a pout, and Eric swooped in and kissed the protruding lip, sucking it into his mouth. Tris gasped, and Eric slipped his tongue in her mouth in a searing kiss.

All too soon, Eric pulled back and winked. "Good night, Duchess," he said.

"Hmm," Tris hummed. "Good night, Warrior."

Eric gave her one last quick peck of a kiss and climbed into his truck as Tris ran back into her parents' house.

Inside, Tris found her dad sitting alone in the living room.

"Sweetpea?" Andrew said. "Do you have a minute?"

"Of course," Tris replied.

"I've been thinking about what Eric said about Marcus," Andrew told his daughter. "What do you think?"

"Well," Tris hesitated as she gathered her thoughts. "I don't know Tobias. But I know that Eric certainly believes what he was told. He has to protect Ava, so he's not going to agree to meet with Governor Eaton. On top of that, Eric wants to protect me, and you, too. He broke his friend's confidence to tell us that story. He did it so we can make decisions with our eyes open. Eric isn't asking you to investigate or make claims against the governor; he just wants you to be aware, so you can protect yourself. If even half of what Eric said is true, the fallout would be devastating."

Andrew thought about Tris' words. "I'm having trouble believing all of this," he finally said. "I've known Marcus for years. The idea that he abused his wife and possibly caused her death is unfathomable. That he abused his son, sold pardons, and bought prostitutes? It's unbelievable. I'm not saying Eric would lie, I'm just not sure we can trust his source."

Tris nodded. She believed Eric. He was smart, and didn't easily fall for things. She also knew Four, a little bit at least. She didn't take him for the vindictive type. He had stayed to himself when he was at Factions. From what Tris had seen, he worked hard, got along with the other trainers, and kept an aloof, professional distance from the students.

But she could also see why Andrew was reluctant to believe Eric's story. Her father had worked closely with Marcus for a very long time, and this new allegation came second- or third-hand. It was hard to suddenly accept that a man you thought you knew well wasn't the selfless public servant you thought he was.

"I get it," Tris finally said to her father. "We all have to do the best we can and weigh things from our perspective and our sources. I need to respect Eric's wishes about this. He and Ava won't meet the governor, and I won't either. If I see him at a function I'll be as polite as ever, but that's it. You have to keep working with him, but I'm sure you'll be more vigilant now and keep an eye out for anything troubling. That's all we can do."

"That's fair," Andrew said. "I won't ask you or Eric to meet with Marcus, and I'll keep my eyes open."

"Will it cause problems that we won't meet with him?" Tris asked.

"Matthew and I will figure it out," Andrew assured his daughter. "Marcus is a very busy man. His office will ask, we'll make excuses, and the window for his attention will close quickly. Once your story isn't the hot, new topic, Marcus' office will quit asking. Fame is fleeting, Sweetpea."

"Thank God," Tris said, laughing.

.

A while later, Tris was watching TV with Caleb when her phone buzzed with a text from Eric.

**E: Duchess. You are a very naughty girl.**

**T: I try**

**E: To kill me?**

**T: Poor baby. Are you dying?**

**E: Maybe. I need to search online and find out if blue balls can be deadly.**

The card Tris had given Eric as he left that evening contained a set of homemade coupons Tris called their "Countdown to 30 Days." Each paper had one thing that she wanted to do with or for Eric to get her more comfortable with intimacy. They had to be used in order, and included things from "give your hands free reign to touch me over my clothes while we make out," to "watch you touch yourself with the option to join in and participate."

Tris had been anxious just making the little coupons, but she was also turned on. She loved the idea of the "take turns giving each other back massages" coupon, but was nervous about the one at the end of the month that said "take a bath together without swimsuits."

Their thirty-day moratorium on intercourse was down to about twenty-five days, and Tris made just twelve tickets. She knew there would be busy days, and that some things might be too anxiety-inducing for her to progress every day, but all in all she thought it was a good idea. Apparently Eric enjoyed reading her ideas as well.

**T: Is it too much for you?**

**E: That depends, how soon can we start?**

**T: I'll be there after work tomorrow. We'll have dinner, put Ava to bed, and start on coupon one.**

**E: I can't wait to let my hands roam freely. Will you wear yoga pants and a tank top for me?**

**T: I'll wear jeans and a black tee to work, but I can throw another outfit in my car if that's what you want.**

**E: Don't bother with a bra, either.**

**T: Eric…**

**E: Too far? I was going to ask if you had a bikini you could wear, but I scaled back my request.**

**T: I think you need a cold shower.**

**E: Baby, I'm way beyond what a cold shower can help with. I noticed there's no sexting coupon.**

**T: I'm much braver via text. I didn't think that coupon was necessary.**

.

Monday morning saw Tris back at Flapjacks bright and early. Jim put her on as runner, knowing all the regulars would want to chat with Tris after her magazine and news appearances.

Tris was relieved that no reporters tracked her down at the cafe that morning. It seemed that the official stories had killed the paparazzi quest for details. That didn't make the public less curious. It seemed that every regular in the neighborhood had come in to give Tris a hug, handshake, or a word of encouragement. Tris sent her parents a text, and the Priors came in, ostensibly to eat breakfast at their daughter's workplace. Andrew had the chance to visit with many of his constituents about his Senate run, though many just wanted to talk about his daughter.

Tris was exhausted by the time the breakfast rush gave way to the lunch crowd. She smiled, thanked her well-wishers, and handed out heaping plates of food until she thought her arms would fall off.

Katie appeared at Tris' side as soon as the runner could be spared. "Take your break," Katie ordered, handing Tris her favorite smoothie.

"Thank you," Tris said, hurrying to the relative quiet of the breakroom.

.

When Tris arrived at Eric's after work, she was worn out. She let herself in, and was greeted by an eager squeal from Ava.

"Hey Babe," Eric greeted her, stepping away from the stove to give her a kiss. Ava screamed angrily at being ignored, and Tris went to where she was playing on the floor to give her some love as well.

It felt good to lay down on the floor and rest, so Tris relaxed and let the happy baby crawl on her.

"Tris?" Eric's voice gently lifted Tris from her sleep. "Duchess? Dinner is ready."

"What happened?" Tris asked as she stretched.

Eric chuckled. "You laid down on the floor and passed out while Ava used you as a jungle gym. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Tris said around a yawn. "Work was crazy. It wore me out. How long was I asleep?"

"Less than an hour," Eric said as he stood and offered Tris a hand up. "Are you ready to eat?"

The couple sat down and enjoyed the dinner Eric had prepared for them. They worked together to clean up the kitchen, played with Ava for a while, and got her ready for bed. Once again the three of them sat together in the rocker and Tris read a story while Eric fed the baby her bottle and held both of his girls in his lap.

When Ava was down for the night, Eric guided Tris out of the nursery. "Are you too tired to cash in that first coupon?" Eric asked thoughtfully.

"Not at all," Tris replied, turning to slide a hand up Eric's bicep. "That nap hit the spot. How about you?"

"I've been looking forward to this all day," he said as he leaned in for a kiss.

"Couch or bed?" Tris asked.

"It's up to you," Eric said.

.

Eric and Tris slipped back into the rhythm they had established before the drinking incident. They went running in the mornings, usually together, with Ava in the jogging stroller. Tris worked at Flapjacks while Eric took care of his daughter, home, and errands. Most afternoons Tris went to Eric's after work, and they had dinner together and family time until the baby went to bed.

Once Ava was down for the night, they worked on the intimacy coupons. Eric was endlessly patient with Tris, though it took many cold showers and solo sessions to keep it that way. But he knew that it was worth it. Every day she grew more confident and comfortable with his touch and his intentions.

Eric's favorite coupon was the "fully-clothed private yoga demonstration." Yoga made Tris feel confident, and knowing that Eric was enjoying the show but not allowed to touch her was empowering. She dressed in a pair of shorts and a sports bra for the demonstration, and Eric thought that it was better than a striptease or a lap dance - not that he had experienced either of those in person.

.

The Fourth of July landed on a Sunday that year. The entire Prior family, including Eric and Ava, traveled around Illinois together for the weekend. They appeared at a fair on Friday night, and walked in parades and appeared at fairs on Saturday and Sunday. They shook hands with people and passed out campaign literature and stickers.

Naturally, there was a lot of attention on Ava, Eric, and Tris. People asked them to pose for photos, and a few people even asked for autographs. The family worked together to keep Ava out of the spotlight and on as normal a schedule as possible, but the long drives that lulled her to sleep at the wrong times and the loud noises that kept her awake during naptime presented a challenge.

The Independence Day event in the state capital of Springfield was the last part of the weekend. It was scheduled to end with a huge fireworks display, and the Priors planned to stay that night and drive back to the Chicago area on Monday.

By the end of the afternoon activities, Ava was an inconsolable mess. She had missed her afternoon nap and was overtired, overheated, and overstimulated. All she could do was cling to Tris as if begging her mommy to put everything back to normal again.

"We need to take Ava home," Tris announced as the family returned to their hotel between events.

Eric nodded. He felt the same way, but hadn't wanted to say it. Andrew's campaign loved having his whole family at events.

"I think that would be best," Natalie agreed, trying and failing to get the crabby baby to come to her.

"I can go," Eric suggested. "You can stay with your family, and I'll take her home."

"No," Tris argued. "I'm tired as well, and I'd rather stay with you and Ava."

"That's fine," Andrew said, putting his arm around his daughter and granddaughter while they waited for the elevator.

Ava's angry cries reduced to whimpering and mournful-sounding fussing. She continued to cling to Tris as they rode the elevator, walked down the hall, and entered their suite of rooms. Eric tried to take his daughter so Tris could pack, but the baby refused him, too. When she practically peeled the little one off her sweaty body so that she could use the restroom, Ava began screaming angrily again.

Tris hurried in the bathroom, packing up her toiletries while she was in there. When she walked out and Ava saw her, the baby's volume increased even more, and Tris felt that she had no choice but to pick her up again.

Eric ended up doing most of the packing while Tris changed Ava's diaper and fed her a bottle. As soon as they were ready, Tris and Eric said their goodbyes to her family and began the two-hour drive home.

Ava slept all the way, and Tris and Eric ate fast food while Eric drove. "Will you stay with us tonight?" Eric asked as he stole one of Tris' french fries.

"Hmmm," Tris said, pretending to think hard about it. "On the one hand, I could go home alone to a dark empty house. Or, I could go home with you, sleep in your arms, and wake up with my two favorite people. How ever will I decide?"

Eric and Tris didn't get a lot of sleep that night. Ava's schedule was messed up, so she woke several times in the night. Each time, Tris insisted that they give Ava a few minutes to see if she would self-soothe once she realized that she was home in her own bed. It worked once, but the second and third times she woke, she cried until they came to her.

"It's a good thing I have tomorrow off," Tris groaned when Ava woke them for the third time.

"I'll bet you're wishing you had gone home tonight," Eric said, rolling toward Tris to wrap his arms around her.

"Not really," Tris replied. "Parents don't get to go home when its it's tough. I learned that lesson during Ava's first three months. I mean, I always knew that, but experiencing it is different."

"I think it's your turn to go get her," Eric said. "I'm old and I need more sleep."

"You're twenty-one," Tris argued. "You're supposed to be having wild, sleepless nights. You're not old."

"I'll be twenty-two next week," Eric argued. "I'm aging rapidly."

Ava's cries grew in intensity. "You have to let go of me if you want me to go to Ava, old man," Tris teased.

Eric released her, and Tris went to soothe the baby.

On Monday morning, Andrew called Eric.

"The governor was at the event last night," Andrew told Eric.

"Then I'm glad I missed it," Eric said.

"He was quite put out that the three of you skipped out on the reception and fireworks show."

Eric grunted, unsure if he was being scolded or if Andrew was working up to something.

"I explained that it was too late for Ava to be out, and that she was a bit out of sorts from the weekend campaigning." Andrew hesitated before he continued. "I, uh, I've been paying more attention to Marcus since we talked. He's a charmer, and good at playing a role, but I don't know. Since we talked I've been seeing little things - the lascivious looks he gives his assistant, the barely contained anger when he gets bad news, especially when someone doesn't do what he orders."

"I trust Tobias," Eric said. "I know him, and I trust him. He didn't start rumors; he didn't talk about his family at all. He has nothing to gain from that. He just wants to be free of Marcus, to separate himself so he can live a normal life where he's not the governor's son."

"I understand," Andrew said. "Without Tobias being willing to press charges, though, I have no evidence of anything. All I can do is try to distance myself from Marcus and pay attention."

"That's all you can do," Eric confirmed.


	27. Chapter 27

Eric's birthday came during the last week of the couple's self-imposed thirty day moratorium on sex. They had gone through most of the coupons that Tris gave Eric on Father's Day, and Tris had become quite physically comfortable with Eric. She found that her worry was greatly eased, and that his once anxiety-inducing desire was something she could now admit that she shared. The only coupon they had left to cash in was to take a bath together without any swimwear as a barrier.

After work on Eric's birthday, Tris went home to her parents' house instead of going to Eric's as had become their custom. She carefully wrapped Eric's birthday gifts. One she hid in her overnight bag, ready to go. She planned to surprise Eric with the gift, a sleepover, and the fact that she had taken the next day off to spend with him and Ava.

Tris put Eric's other gift on the dining room table at her parents' house. Natalie had insisted on preparing a birthday dinner for Eric. She made lasagna, one of his favorites. With the legislature off for the summer, Andrew was home more often. He arranged a night off from campaign business, too, so all four Priors would be in attendance.

Eric arrived on time, and Natalie gave him a warm hug before taking Ava from him. Tris hurried down the stairs to greet the birthday boy with a hug and kiss. Ava squealed and squirmed when she saw Tris.

"Ma-ma-ma-ma," the baby chanted.

Tris raised an eyebrow, and Eric smirked. He had promised not to push the title on her until after the election, but that didn't stop him from working on Ava when Tris wasn't around. He often showed the baby pictures of Tris while he talked to her about "mama." He knew this was coming because lately Ava babbled the title without prompting whenever she saw pictures of Tris.

"Do you want your mama?" Natalie asked the baby. Ava responded by reaching for Tris and whining.

Tris took the little one in her arms and Ava grinned her bright baby smile, revealing the two bottom teeth that had recently appeared. Tris smiled back at the little one, and Ava reached her chubby little hands out to Tris' cheeks. "Ma-ma-ma," she said happily.

"I think it's official," Eric said. "You should put it in the baby book."

"It's _your_ birthday," Tris moaned. "She should have said 'dada' first, especially today."

Ava let out another squeal as Caleb and Andrew came into the foyer. Andrew shook hands with Eric, then took Ava from Tris.

"Ma-ma-ma-ma!" The baby protested, reaching for Tris.

"Sorry, Papa," Eric said. "Ava learned a word, and she's quite attached tonight."

Andrew reluctantly handed the little one back to Tris, and Ava dove in with enthusiastic but slobbery baby kisses.

"I just saw you yesterday, Sunshine," Tris laughed.

"She's gotten used to our schedule," Eric said. "She's been looking for you since she got up from her nap. When I put her in the car seat to come over here she got fussy and just kept babbling about 'mama'. I think she was worried that she wouldn't see you."

The Priors and Coulters enjoyed a relaxed and light-hearted dinner together. They talked about the upcoming school year - what classes Eric would be teaching, when Caleb would go back to Baltimore, and Tris' freshman orientation weekend. Natalie offered to watch Ava on the Friday when Tris started orientation and Eric had to be at Factions.

They also talked about Ava starting daycare. Eric and Tris had looked at several places, but in the end had gone with a friend of Hana Pedrad's, Melanie Russell, who ran a daycare out of her home. The woman was licensed to take more kids, but preferred to keep her daycare small. She had a pair of two-year-old twin girls and one other baby in her care, and was happy to take Ava, especially since she would only be there part-time. Tris and Eric had been pleased with Melanie's references as well as her home. She had been very kind and encouraging to Eric and Tris, who were nervous about leaving Ava in another's care.

After dinner, Tris served the chocolate cake that she had prepared for Eric. By that time Ava was willing to be held my someone other than her "ma-ma-ma," and the family happily passed her around the table so they could all get a turn with her smiles and snuggles.

Caleb tried in vain to get Ava to say "Bub-bub." He even tried bribing her with a little dollop of chocolate frosting from his cake. She smacked her lips and drooled heavily over the sweet taste, but the only sound she made was "Mmmm" and grunting as she reached for more cake off his plate.

Tris' parents gave Eric a very nice watch for his birthday. It was obvious that he wasn't expecting such a generous gift, nor the thoughtful card that accompanied it. Natalie and Andrew had written about how proud they were of Eric and how they loved having him and Ava in their family. Eric swiped at his eyes with the heels of his hands as he passed the card to Tris. She read her parents' words then put her arms around Eric and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"I'm next," Caleb said, "but I doubt you'll cry."

He slid a gift bag toward Eric, and Eric reached in to find a coffee mug that read, "Being my brother-in-law is really the only gift you need." Eric laughed, then opened the accompanying card, which contained a coffee shop gift card. He thanked Caleb, then moved on to the gift Tris was handing him.

Eric removed the wrapping paper to find a plain cardboard box. He started to shake it, but Tris stopped him. When he opened the box, the first thing Eric pulled out was a Chicago Blackhawks wall clock. It had a rustic look to it, red stained wood with the team's logo in the center and big grey and white numbers around the outside.

"I thought you could put it on that blank wall in your gym," Tris suggested.

Eric's eyes lit up. "That will be perfect," he said. "It'll be nice to have a clock in there, and you know how I feel about the Blackhawks."

Tris indicated that Eric should look in the box again, and he pulled out a jacket. It was an insulated windbreaker-type that partially zipped in the front and would be perfect for hockey practices. The body of the jacket was black, and one side of the chest had an embroidered Factions High School logo, a dive-bombing eagle with five ribbons in his talons representing the five factions. The other side of the chest was embroidered with "Coach Eric" in white letters.

"Thank you, Baby," Eric said, leaning over to kiss Tris.

"Hey!" Caleb feigned objection. "I didn't get a kiss."

"Do you want one?" Eric teasingly offered, puckering his lips at Caleb from across the table.

Tris took the jacket from Eric and showed him that there was more embroidery on the cuff of the left wrist. "My Warrior," it said in small blue letters. Eric grinned at Tris and pressed their foreheads together.

"I love you, Duchess," he whispered.

"I love you too, Warrior," she whispered back. "I have another gift for you, too, but you can't unwrap that until we get back to your place and put Ava to bed."

Eric raised an eyebrow. "You're coming home with me tonight?" he said, still whispering.

"I took the day off tomorrow," she whispered. "I'm all yours."

Eric kissed Tris. Ava screamed, and the couple looked up to see Caleb trying to cover the baby's eyes.

"We just ate, you two," Caleb whined.

Eric kissed his girlfriend again, just to annoy her brother. Tris smiled at Eric, then got up to take Ava from Caleb.

"Is Uncle Bub-bub being mean and covering your eyes?" she asked the baby. "You like kisses, don't you Sunshine?"

"Ma-ma-ma-ma," the baby replied.

Soon after the cake and gifts, Eric packed up Ava to take her home. Tris threw her bag in the truck and went with them rather than driving herself. On the drive back, Eric started asking questions about his other birthday gift.

"When can I see what else you got me, Duchess?" the birthday boy asked.

"I told you," Tris replied, "after Ava goes to bed."

"Can I have a hint?" Eric pleaded, reaching across the console to stroke the exposed skin between Tris' knee and her skirt.

"Well," she said a little nervously, "I thought that once Ava is down for the night, you might want to unwrap me, and we can use that last coupon."

"The bath?" Eric asked, squeezing Tris' thigh.

Tris could have sworn that Eric drove home faster than usual. They went through Ava's bedtime routine, including story time in the rocker. Eric usually lingered when he got both girls on his lap in the big chair, but tonight he was eager to get Ava in the crib so he could get Tris in the bath.

"Slow down, Warrior," Tris laughed as Eric hurried them out of the nursery and across the hall to the master bedroom.

She dug around in her overnight bag, looking for Eric's other gift. "What are you doing?" Eric asked, already pulling off his shirt. "I thought you weren't wearing a bathing suit this time."

"I'm not," Tris said, pulling out a small wrapped package. "I just wanted to give you your other birthday gift now."

"I thought _you_ were my gift," Eric said, reaching out to run his hands up and down Tris' sides. "Can't I unwrap you instead?"

"How about both?" Tris offered, reaching toward Eric with the gift.

He took it from her hand and made quick work of the wrapping paper. "Condoms?" he asked. His eyes sought out hers with a million questions. Tris blushed and bit her bottom lip, waiting for his reaction.

"Really?" Eric asked in a husky voice.

Tris nodded. "I thought maybe you could unwrap me, and we can take that bath together, then, you know…"

"I want you to say it," Eric prompted. "I want to know you're not afraid to say it, and to ask for what you want. I will never laugh at you, and I'm not going to reject you, Duchess."

"Eric," Tris began in a quiet but resolute voice as she stroked her hands down his neck and across his bare broad shoulders, "I want to make love with you."

.

Tris was the first one to wake up the next morning. Her bladder was desperate for relief, but she was trapped in Eric's arms. She tried to wiggle free.

"Duchess?" Eric asked sleepily as he drew her closer still.

"Eric," she pleaded, "I have to go to the bathroom."

Reluctantly, Eric loosened his hold on Tris. He watched her carefully as she crawled out of bed and walked gingerly to the bathroom. He could tell that she was a bit sore, but she was trying to hide it.

When she returned from the bathroom, Eric drew her close again, her back pressed against his chest, as seemed to be their preferred sleeping position. "I love you," he said, pouring all his emotions into three little words.

"I love you, too," Tris replied shyly.

"Do you want to talk about last night?" Eric asked.

Tris shrugged, and he understood the gesture to mean yes, but that she was uncomfortable, too.

"You're very beautiful," Eric began, hoping to combat her anxiety with the truth. "I enjoyed having unlimited access to your gorgeous body."

"I… I'm not… I mean, I don't have curves," Tris finally managed to say.

"Yes you do," Eric said, trailing his hand over the curves of Tris' waist, hip, and shapely butt.

"I mean, I'm kind of flat-chested," Tris said.

"Some guys are all about big boobs," Eric admitted. "The bigger the better until it gets ridiculous. But I'm not into that. I'm into _you_, and your perky breasts are perfect for your petite height and toned, athletic body."

Tris relaxed at his words. Eric kissed her shoulder and held her close. "I know the first time for a woman is somewhat painful," he said in a soothing voice, "but you should know that for me it was absolutely incredible."

"Yeah?" Tris asked nervously.

"Duchess," Eric soothed. "Making love to you was everything I dreamed that it would be. My only regret is that your first time was painful. It was unavoidable, but I hate that I caused you pain. I promise that it gets better - much better. A soak in the tub will help with the soreness, and you can take some Advil if you want."

"What about, um, other stuff?" Tris asked.

Eric kissed her shoulder again. "What other stuff?" he questioned.

"You know," Tris said shyly, "like different positions, toys, stuff like that. Are you going to handcuff me to the bed?"

"Only if you want me to," Eric chuckled.

"Don't laugh at me!" Tris said in distress.

"Duchess, I'm sorry I laughed," Eric placated her. "You're worried about nothing. Porn and erotic books show a lot of extremes, but most couples aren't so kinky. I'm sure we'll try some more things once we've gotten some practice, and when you're not so sore, but we won't do anything you don't want to do. You are always free to ask for what you want, and you're always free to say no. We're partners, Duchess, you will never be a victim in this relationship."

Tris visibly relaxed at Eric's words. She snuggled closer to his chest and grabbed his arms, wrapping them tightly around her. She felt safe like that, surrounded by Eric's strong body, and soon drifted back to sleep.

When Tris woke again, Ava was on the bed. The seven-month-old banged on Tris like she was a bongo drum and chanted "Ma-ma-ma-ma."

"Hello there, Sunshine," Tris greeted the baby. "What time is it?"

"After nine," Eric replied from his position on the side of the bed.

"Really?" Tris asked. "Someone must have really wore me out last night; I never sleep this late."

"I know," Eric said smugly. "But you had a big night last night, so I thought I'd let you rest."

"Daddy's a gentleman," Tris said to Ava. "When you grow up, you make sure to find one who will take care of you like that."

"Da-da-da," the baby mimicked.

.

The three of them enjoyed a low-key day together. Eric needed to run to the office supply store in preparation for the new school year. Tris and Ava went along, and Tris got her own supplies for her college classes.

By the time they finished buying their school supplies, it was lunch time. They sat down at a sandwich shop together, and Eric fed Ava her baby food while the little one sat in the restaurant highchair and got distracted smiling at all the strangers.

Their next stop was the mall. Ava was outgrowing her six-month clothes rapidly, so Eric wanted to pick up a few larger items for her. Tris put the baby in her carrier wrap, and in no time Ava was sound asleep on Tris' chest.

"Is there anything you would like to look at while we're here?" Eric asked Tris. "Ava is asleep, so we might as well take advantage of that and wander around for a bit."

"I would like to look for some picture frames," Tris suggested. "We have all those nice pictures Bud gave us, and it would be nice to put some of them up on the walls."

"Where?" Eric asked.

"I was thinking that bare wall to the right of the front door," Tris said. "That way we would see them every time we come down the stairs, and guests would see them when they first come in."

Eric smiled as he listened to his girlfriend talk about his home as if it were her own. He loved having Tris with him and Ava, and his once-bare townhouse felt more like home with her in it. He happily steered them to the home store where they wandered the aisles together and talked about paint colors and decorative accessories.

"I've been thinking about putting down more of the wood laminate flooring," Eric said hesitantly.

"Why do you do that?" Tris asked.

"Do what? Is that a bad idea?" Eric asked.

"Why do you act like I'm going to bite your head off any time you suggest something for your house?" Tris elaborated. "Do I give you a hard time? I know I've teased you about everything being beige and your affinity for large wall-mounted TVs, but I don't really question your taste. You know that, right? Your house was all beige because you had just moved in. You've added life and color to the place, and your choices have been good. I'm sorry if I've hurt your feelings and made you doubt yourself."

Eric thought about it for a minute. "Actually, you haven't," he concluded. "You teased me a little about all the beige, but I didn't pick that, and we both knew it. Every time I've suggested something, you've liked it, or at least you haven't complained."

"It isn't about you," Eric said, continuing to think out loud. "It's about my mom. She was great, and I miss her like crazy, but she was fanatical about decorating. One of her best friends was an interior designer. I couldn't put up a poster in my own room without her getting upset about it. If she were still alive, she would have been in my house before I even moved in, and she would have painted walls, changed out light fixtures, probably gutted the place. Every time I look at the family heirlooms in my house I wonder if she's rolling over in her grave to see where they ended up."

Tris stopped right in the middle of the aisle of down comforters and put an arm around Eric's back, resting her head on his shoulder and chest. "You bought a terrific townhouse," she said. "It's comfortable, and clean, and it meets your needs. You're putting your own mark on the place one day at a time while working and raising a baby - who, by the way, has the cutest nursery and bathroom. I think that putting down more laminate flooring is a great idea. Where were you thinking?"

"The master bedroom," Eric said more confidently. "And maybe the vestibule-loft area at the top of the stairs. And the foyer. That linoleum has seen better days."

"I think that would look very nice," Tris complimented Eric. "You'll want a big rug for the bedroom if you do that, and maybe one for the loft, too. I would suggest you pick up some extra flooring in case you ever want to to Ava's room. It might be odd if that's the only room that doesn't match upstairs. As for the foyer, the wood look is nice, but will it stand up to all the traffic, wet shoes, and such? And please don't do wood stairs; they're a death trap! My grandma had polished wood stairs and I swear everyone in my family fell down them at least once."

"What if I left the loft and stairs carpeted, tiled the foyer when I redo the bathroom floors, and put the laminate in the master bedroom. I could buy the extra flooring to do Ava's room eventually, or leave that carpet like the loft."

"That would be great," Tris encouraged.

As they continued to walk through the store, Tris noticed that Eric carried himself a little taller. They found frames for the pictures Bud gave them. Eric picked one white frame to hang a picture in Ava's room, and the others looked like brown leather. Tris knew they would look good with Eric's brown leather sofa in the living room.

Eric wanted to look at rugs for the master bedroom. He found one that was large, a grey and ivory geometric design, and Tris agreed that it would look great on wood-look floors. They talked about painting the walls in a similar light grey color.

The faux-wood flooring that Eric and Caleb installed in the home gym had a light oak look which matched the trim in Eric's home. The dressers and nightstands in his bedroom were cherry in color, with a solid, masculine feel. The set had a wide dresser, a tall dresser, and one nightstand.

"Do you have a headboard for your bedroom set?" Tris asked.

"There was one," Eric replied, "but it doesn't fit my king-sized bed. It's still in my storage unit."

"What else is in there?" Tris wondered, curious about what other family heirlooms might be stored away.

"Um, let's see," Eric thought for a minute. "There's a formal dining room set with a china hutch that matches the credenza in my living room. The headboard and footboard for the bedroom furniture. My mom's good china is back in storage after I bought my own dishes. Oh, and my dad's big cherry desk. Plus some odds and ends."

"And you're paying a monthly fee to store all that?" Tris asked.

"No," Eric said sheepishly. "I kind of, um, own the storage facility."

Tris was dumbfounded with the sudden realization of how little she knew about Eric, his family, and his finances.

"Tris?" Eric asked when he realized that she had stopped in the middle of the aisle.

"I just… We just… I mean… Wow," Tris stammered.

"What's the matter?" Eric asked, genuinely surprised and concerned by her reaction.

"Nothing," Tris said. "I was just realizing that, you know, last night and everything, and there's still so much I don't know about you. Like your family and everything. We've been so caught up in Ava, the campaign, school, all of that. I just… I don't know."

Tris looked down at the baby sleeping on her chest. She took deep breaths as she stroked the little one's warm back and tried to soothe her own suddenly jangled nerves.

"You're suddenly realizing how much you don't know?" Eric guessed. "And in light of what we did last night, that alarms you?"

Tris nodded, but kept her eyes locked on the sleeping baby in her arms.

"I understand," Eric said gently. "We've had so much to do just to keep up with now that we haven't talked much about the past that isn't part of our every day."

"And, I mean, your finances and stuff," Tris said, trying to sound relaxed and unphased since they were in a public place, "that isn't really any of my business anyway."

"I don't mind sharing that with you," Eric said, "but maybe not at the mall."

Tris laughed, a dry, self-conscious sound. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"Don't be," Eric said, putting an arm around Tris' shoulders as he led her to the furniture section. "I have no secrets from you. If there's something we haven't gotten around to talking about, just ask."


	28. Chapter 28

"As you know, I'm an only child," Eric began speaking after Ava was in bed that night. "My parents married older, and they had trouble getting pregnant at first. So my mom was thirty-seven when I was born, and my dad was forty. They owned a house in the Cherry Hill neighborhood, not too far from here."

"Very nice," Tris said, commenting on the upscale neighborhood of large homes and rolling manicured lawns where Eric grew up.

"My mom never worked," Eric continued. "At least not after I was born. My dad was a lawyer, and he worked a lot. He also invested in real estate on the side. When Dad turned sixty, he sold his part of the law firm to the other partners and retired early. He kept his investment properties, though. It gave him something to 'putter around with,' as he said. That winter they went to the Caribbean, and you know the rest. They died in an accident. Dad had just turned sixty-one, and Mom was fifty-seven. My grandparents died when I was a kid, and my mom was an only child, too. My dad had a brother, but he lives in Alaska with his third wife or something, and I haven't seen him since the funeral. Before that he hadn't visited since I was twelve. Everything was left to me."

Eric shrugged like it was no big deal, and Tris waited to see if he had more to say.

"So the law practice had already been sold, and I had Dad's old partner and his accountant arrange everything else with the estate. They sold the house, and I moved the things I wanted to keep into storage units at the self-storage building my dad owned. The other investments weren't too big, and I just had them sold off. I bought my truck with money from the estate, and I bought this place after I graduated. I made a couple of charitable donations in their names, and everything else is in savings or low-risk investments."

"That's why you don't have to work over the summer," Tris concluded, "and why you can make improvements to your house whenever you feel like it."

"Pretty much," Eric said. "It's also how I afforded the private investigators who were looking for Melinda, and how I paid for her burial. Ava's education is covered, as well. For the most part I live off what I make, including the year-round income from the storage place, but I have a deep safety cushion that has been an enormous blessing this year. I had no idea when my parents died that my life would go in this direction. I thought I'd graduate, take a few months off to travel, party, see the world, and try to find myself. I had offers from the NFL and the NHL. They wanted me to enter both drafts. But after my parents died, I just felt like I was drifting.

"It's hard to explain," he continued. "I had my life mapped out - I was going to be a professional hockey player, then my parents died and everything turned to chaos. I tried sorting it out and making something out of it, but Melinda blew it up again. I didn't know what to do after that, and then things just started falling into place on their own. I'm happier than I have been since my parents died, maybe even before that."

"You don't regret it?" Tris asked. "You could have been a pro athlete. Isn't that every guy's dream?"

"It's a hard life," Eric explained. "It's awesome, and you make a ton of money, but it's hard. I was burned out even before my parents died, but that was the last straw. I get to work out how I want now, and I can eat whatever I want. I get to stay involved in hockey through coaching at Factions. My schedule is somewhat flexible, and I can have a paparazzi-free personal life."

"Until I came along," Tris interrupted, rolling her eyes, and they both laughed.

The attention and publicity that had hounded them after David's rumor spreading and the CelebWatch article were pretty much over. Occasionally a stranger would recognize them in public, but that had more to do with the Chicagoland Magazine article, their news appearance, or the appearances they made with Andrew and his campaign. They were greatly relieved to go back to their normal life of being plain old Eric and Tris.

"I'm sorry I haven't explained this to you before," Eric said. "It was never my intention to hide things from you. I just don't give it much thought. The money sits in the bank. I work and live like a normal person. I raise my daughter and spend time with my beautiful girlfriend and her family."

"I'm sorry too," Tris said. "You don't owe me any explanations or anything about your finances. I just panicked because I suddenly felt confronted with what I _don't_ know about you, and it felt bigger than it should have because of last night."

"I understand," Eric said tenderly. "Last night was a big step for us, and especially for you. You trusted me and worked through something that really scared you. Apparently there were still some nerves hanging around."

Tris nodded.

She went home that night, trying to keep things as normal as possible. She knew that eventually she and Natalie would talk about what happened between her and Eric - not in the kind of detail Christina would press for, but Tris talked to Natalie about a lot of things that other girls would never share with their mothers. She knew that Natalie would love her, support her, guide her in the right direction, and keep her confidence. That was the kind of relationship they had. The conversation might be awkward, but Tris knew she could trust her mom.

.

Life got busier in August. The campaign was taking more of Andrew and Natalie's time, and Tris made several appearances at events with her parents. Eric and the rest of the Dauntless team at Factions High School were preparing for the school year. They had to be at school some days, and Eric took Ava with him when Tris had to work. The rest of the Dauntless trainers loved the baby, and had no problem making room in their shared office for a playpen.

Though not in Springfield during the legislature's summer break, Andrew tried to keep an eye on Governor Eaton. He secretly researched pardons that the governor had issued, and though he found no damning evidence, he had to admit that some of the pardons and Eaton's campaign finances from his most recent reelection looked suspicious.

When the governor offered to make some appearances on behalf of Andrew's campaign for Senate, the candidate instructed his campaign manager, Matthew, to give Eaton a bit of a run-around. His trust in the governor as a person had been eroded, and he wanted to be careful of his own reputation if the governor were to be caught doing something illegal or unethical.

Andrew and Matthew's tactics worked until they received an invitation to a big rally in Chicago for the American Family Foundation. The foundation was a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting foster families, finding adoptive families for children, and child advocacy in general. After someone in the Illinois chapter had read Tris and Eric's magazine article, they contacted the planning committee for the national conference and suggested Tris as a speaker at the event. The planners, in turn, contacted the Prior campaign.

Tris was nervous but excited about the prospect of speaking at the event. Three days of breakout sessions and mainstage speakers were being held at Chicago's convention center, culminating in a closing rally that would feature several well-known speakers, and a stage full of politicians and dignitaries. Tris' story was being made into an introductory video that would be shown before she gave a short speech as one of the big rally's "opening acts."

On the Thursday that the conference opened downtown, Tris worked her usual shift at Flapjacks, then went to Eric's house. She walked into the kitchen, greeted Eric and Ava, and dropped down onto the couch.

"We need to talk about my schedule," Tris said. "School starts soon for both of us, and I need to give Jim my availability."

"Schedule?" Eric asked as he checked on the food simmering on the stove. "I assumed you wouldn't work during the school year."

"I have to work," Tris said. "My scholarship doesn't cover everything, and although I'm living at home and eating your food most of the time, I still need to have money. Now that I'm eighteen and out of high school, I have to pay for my car insurance. Plus there's gas, spending money, gifts to buy now and then, and all of that. I got some nice gifts for my graduation and have put away what I can over the summer, but I've had to take a lot of time off with campaign stuff, so my savings cushion is pretty small. If my car broke down or something, I'd be in trouble."

"I thought you were going to watch Ava for me," Eric said, looking over his shoulder at Tris as he washed his hands and prepared Ava's baby food.

"I am," Tris said. "Going to school in the mornings and being with her in the afternoons really only leaves me Saturday and Sunday to work, and I'd hate to be tied up every weekend and not be able to go to church anymore. Maybe I should quit there and get something in retail or something, so I could work evenings and Saturdays."

"What about me?" Eric asked. "When would you spend time with me?"

Tris sighed. "What am I supposed to do?" she asked.

"I don't think you should work," Eric answered, as if it were that simple.

"I told you," Tris argued, "I _have_ to work."

"I'll pay you for watching Ava," Eric said with a shrug.

"That doesn't feel right," Tris countered. "It's weird taking pay from your boyfriend. And weird asking for money to watch my own baby."

"I disagree," Eric said. "If we were a normal family, married or living together and raising our child together, I would pay your expenses. Everything we have would be _ours_ with two names on the checkbook. We would work together to raise our daughter, and sharing our finances wouldn't be weird."

"But that's not our situation," Tris argued, her frustration mounting. "I'm _not_ your wife, and I'm _not_ Ava's mom. This isn't my house. You don't provide me with insurance. You're not responsible for me!"

"Then you're a babysitter," Eric argued, his own frustration getting the best of him. "And babysitters get paid!"

Tris stared at Eric for a moment, her mouth agape. _Babysitter?_ she thought. _Is that all I am?_

She wanted to lash out at Eric for calling her the babysitter. She wanted him to know how awkward it would be to report her hours, or ask him for her paycheck. She wanted to explain that she could never see herself as his partner and his equal if she was his employee. But words failed her, and she just stood and stared.

"I'm going home," she finally said, then kissed Ava and left.

_What the hell just happened?_ Eric thought as he stared at the door. The situation was so simple in his mind. He was a working single parent. He would pay for childcare, whether that was full-time daycare or part-time daycare and part-time Tris. Her time was worth money, and she was entitled to be paid for her time just the same as Melanie the daycare lady. Tris shouldn't have to bust her butt going to school in the mornings, watching Ava in the afternoons, and working nights and weekends. That wasn't fair. He understood that their situation was unusual and that Tris would feel strange taking money for watching the baby she practically considered to be her own daughter, but why had she just stormed out like that?

Ava squawked, getting Eric's attention. "Ma, ma, ma, ma," the baby fussed, reaching toward the door. Undoubtedly his daughter could sense the tension between him and Tris. Eric tried to distract the baby. He smiled at her, made funny faces, and talked to her in a happy tone. It worked, and he was able to feed Ava while she was distracted.

Once Ava was cleaned up and playing with her toys on the living room floor, Eric dished up his own dinner. He carried his plate to the couch and watched his daughter scoot around on the floor while he ate. She was getting faster and more mobile now. When a toy caught her attention, she would quickly crawl, either on her belly or on her knees, and get what she wanted.

As Eric was finishing his food, Ava crawled to him and turned herself to sit by his feet. "Da, da, da," the baby called as she held up her arms in a request to be picked up. "Dada," had been Ava's second word, quickly followed by "Na-ma" (for Grandma Natalie), "Papa" (for Andrew), and "Ba-ba" (bottle). Caleb was still trying to get her to say "Bub-bub," but she preferred to laugh at her surrogate uncle and stubbornly refused to say his name.

Eric played with his daughter for a while, checking his phone every few minutes while scrambling to figure out what upset Tris like that. It wasn't like her to just get mad and leave. The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became. He had been patient with Tris from the very beginning. He was open with her, and he had been gentle about her fear of intimacy.

_Do I rely on her too much?_ he wondered. From day one of their friendship she had been Ava's primary caregiver, and since he took custody he had relied heavily on her for babysitting, advice, and someone to share the burdens and joys of parenting. He thought about how he had called on her when Ava was sick and how, even though they were fighting, Tris had shown up in the middle of the night and helped him through it. He thought about the Fourth of July, and how Tris had put Ava's needs above her father's campaign and insisted on bringing her home, even though it meant missing the last event and the fireworks. She did the same thing at her graduation, he realized, thinking of how Tris walked away from her friends and the celebration after the ceremony to find Ava some peace and quiet so she could fall asleep.

Eric dwelt on their relationship as he got Ava ready for bed. _I don't take her on dates often enough_, he chastised himself one minute. The next minute he flipped sides in his own mind. _She acted like a child storming out like that_, he thought.

Ava was still awake when Eric put her in the crib for the night. He walked out of the nursery and across the loft to his own room and dropped his large frame onto his even larger bed. "Ma, ma, ma, ma," Ava was whimpering pitifully through the baby monitor. Listening to his daughter mourn Tris' absence, Eric had enough. He pulled out his phone and texted Tris.

**E: I didn't appreciate you storming out tonight. That was immature, and it upset Ava. I thought we were better than that. I thought that we talked about things in this relationship.**

**T: Relationship? I thought I was just the babysitter?**

**E: What?**

**T: You called me the babysitter. You want to put me on your payroll like some kind of servant.**

**E: I want you to be fairly compensated for all the money you save me. If you didn't watch Ava I would have to pay someone else. Why shouldn't I pay you?**

**T: I guess you should, since that's my place in your lives. Are you going to pay me for sex, too?**

Eric swore to himself. _What is wrong with her?_ he wondered.

**E: Why would you say that? You're my girlfriend, not a hooker.**

**T: So to you I'm the girlfriend, but to Ava I'm just the babysitter. Is that the line you're drawing?**

**E: You're being ridiculous.**

**T: Thanks**

**E: So you won't accept the title of mother, and you don't want to be the babysitter, either. I can't win with you.**

**T: You don't understand me at all. Do you listen? Taking money from you is WEIRD. It feels icky and reduces me to the role of your employee.**

**E: So you won't take my money, but you insist on giving me free childcare.**

**T: Yes! I WANT to be with Ava. I love her, and I love you.**

**E: But in exchange I never get to see you, because you have to earn money, too.**

**T: We're not all wealthy trust fund babies with deep pockets.**

**E: Ouch**

**E: You know I would give up every penny to have my parents in my life. And I know you wouldn't give yours up for all the money in the world.**

**T: You're right. I'm sorry I said that. I'm just struggling with not feeling equal again. I don't have the options you have.**

**E: I think we should talk tomorrow when we've cooled off a bit.**

**T: That's a good idea. I've already said things I didn't mean and shouldn't have said. Tomorrow I have to get ready for the event on Saturday. I'll talk to you on Saturday night after I give my speech. Okay?**

**E: Okay, goodnight.**

**T: Goodnight**

Tris felt terrible. She had been frustrated and felt like Eric wasn't hearing her, and she said things she shouldn't have. She knew she hurt him, and she felt horrible about it.

Tris hadn't eaten dinner. She had come home from Eric's upset and had gone straight to her room and stayed there. She had fumed about their conversation, pacing the floor of her small bedroom. She had picked up her phone a dozen times to type out a text and give him a piece of her mind, but she hadn't sent any of them. Once he texted her and she replied, things had blown up and gotten way out of hand. Tris felt like a jerk, yet she was still angry and frustrated about the job situation. She laid her head on her pillow and cried herself to sleep.

On Friday, Andrew and Natalie were surprised to see Tris at the house after her shift at Flapjacks. She told them that she was home for the evening to work on her speech for the American Family Foundation rally.

When Tris went upstairs to change out of her work clothes, Andrew and Natalie exchanged a meaningful look.

"We've asked a lot of her lately," Andrew said guiltily.

"Hmm," Natalie hummed over her glass of iced tea.

"I didn't want my campaign to upset my family so much," Andrew continued. "Beatrice has gotten the brunt of it."

"I don't think that's the problem," Natalie said wisely. "You saw her reaction when she was invited to speak. Child development is the field she wants to work in, and she has an advocate's spirit. I'm sure she has butterflies, but this is a great opportunity for her and she knows it. I think there's something else bothering her."

Andrew groaned, and put his head in his hands. "Please don't tell me she's pregnant," he pleaded with his wife. "I love Ava, you know that, but Beatrice is only eighteen, and not married."

"Relax," Natalie said, placing her hand on Andrew's shoulder. "She just asked me to pick up some tampons at the store. She's not pregnant. I'm guessing they had a fight."

"Eric?" Andrew asked, his head snapping up so he could look at his wife.

Natalie resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her oblivious husband. "They're eighteen and twenty-two," she said, "but they don't get to act like it. They're raising a baby together, but they lack the security of being a traditional family. The new school year is around the corner, and they have a lot of things to juggle. She came home last night and locked herself in her room when she normally would have been over there. Now she came home right after work. I just hope it's not too serious."

A heavy sigh interrupted their conversation, and they looked up to see Tris in the doorway. "He wants to pay me for babysitting," she said.

Andrew looked from his sorrowful daughter to his sympathetic wife. "I don't get it," he said. "Why wouldn't he pay you for babysitting when he's at work?"

"Did you pay Mom?" Tris asked.

Andrew was taken aback. "Of course not. She's my wife, and your mother. We shared everything, including responsibility for you kids. But you're not… Oh," he trailed off as he understood.

"He called me the babysitter," Tris said as she dropped into a kitchen chair between her parents. "And I made it worse by getting mad and reminding him that I don't have an inheritance to live off of like he does."

"Ouch," Andrew said. Natalie shot him a glare that warned him to stop making things worse.

"I know," Tris lamented, letting her head fall to the table. "I apologized, but that was an awful thing to say. I wasn't thinking. I need to work, but Eric doesn't want me to. He says I won't have time for him if I go to school, spend the afternoons with Ava, and hold down a part-time job. He's right, but I can't take a paycheck from my boyfriend. That would be humiliating. We agreed to cool off and not talk about it until after my speech on Saturday."

"That was wise," Natalie said encouragingly. "You can brainstorm possible solutions instead of having an emotional argument. People like to say that you should never go to bed angry, but I disagree. Sometimes it's better to admit that you're upset, but you still love and care for one another, then take up the conversation when you're not so tired or emotional. Don't ignore your problems, but don't force a conversation when you'll just hurt each other."

"Thanks," Tris said.


	29. Chapter 29

On Saturday afternoon, Tris dressed herself in a pair of slim cropped-length black pants, a sleeveless white silk shell, and a grey casual blazer with rolled-looking sleeves. She put on her black ballet flats and examined herself in the full-length mirror. _Active, professional, and not too warm_, she thought as she looked over her outfit. _Just needs a necklace and earrings_. She added the Dauntless necklace that Eric had given her for graduation, and a pair of Natalie's garnet earrings. She put her long hair in a bun that would be comfortable on the hot August day, and applied basic makeup.

Once Natalie and Andrew approved her fashion choices, Tris was ready to go. Andrew drove the three of them to the convention center, and they parked where the organizers had told them to. They checked in, and Tris could feel her excitement and nervousness growing as they waited in the green room with the other politicians and speakers that would be participating in the rally.

"Excuse me!" A woman in a green suit called out to the assembled participants. "Excuse me! My name is Sarah Jensen, and I am the head of the event planning committee. This is the rally's emcee, Ellen Andersen. We'd like to walk through a few things with you all before we go on stage."

Tris and Andrew listened carefully as Sarah explained the processional and on-stage seating arrangements to the group. "There are two rows of seats on the stage," she told them. "The front row is for those who will be speaking at the podium. The second row is for the rest of you. The second row is slightly elevated, so you will be able to see everything, and the attendees and media will be able to see you there in support of the children. Here's the order we will be sitting in."

Sarah continued explaining the plan, and Tris focused on her part of the event. She would be the fourth person to walk on to the stage, following the organization's national president, the head of the event committee, and the rally's emcee. The three of them would be seated to the speakers' left on the stage. Tris and the other guests would be seated in the double row on the speaker's right. The front row included Tris, four other people who would give short speeches like hers, and Governor Eaton. The second row included Andrew, who would be sitting behind his daughter for support, and other civic leaders who would not be speaking at the podium.

"Is all of that clear?" Sarah asked the group. Tris nodded.

Andrew put his arm around his daughter. "You're going to do great," he encouraged her. Natalie nodded in agreement and kissed Tris on the forehead before leaving to take her reserved seat next to Matthew in the front row of the audience.

"I wish Eric was here," Tris confessed to her father. "I'm glad Mom and Matthew will be there, but, I don't know. I haven't even talked to him since we argued on Thursday night."

Andrew shifted to wrap both arms around his daughter. "He loves you, Sweetpea," Andrew assured her. "Mom is recording your speech for him and Caleb to see later. You can have a nice, long talk later and sort everything out. Just try to set it aside for now and focus on what you need to do."

"I know," Tris said, taking a deep, calming breath.

Andrew hugged his daughter tighter.

"Dad!" Tris squealed. "You're going to mess up my hair right before we go on stage!"

Andrew laughed and let go of Tris. She felt for her bun, assuring herself that it was firmly in place.

"Places, everyone!" Sarah yelled, and they got in line.

When Tris was situated in her spot on the stage, she looked out at the full auditorium. The bright, smiling faces of child advocates - including social services employees, non-profit managers, religious leaders, and teachers from around the country - greeted her. Tris smiled at the crowd and their signs that said things like "I'm for Families!" and "Idaho Teachers Stand With Students."

When everyone on the stage found their assigned seats, the emcee took the podium.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Ellen announced into the microphone, "supporters and advocates for children and families across this nation, welcome!"

The crowd cheered and clapped, and Tris joined them. "What an incredible weekend we've had here!" the emcee continued. "I have learned so much from the speakers on this stage and in the breakout sessions I've attended. I'm sure you have as well. Today is our day to tell the world who we are and why we are here. We are teachers, parents, advocates, non-profit organizations, churches, schools, and civic leaders, and we are all here for one reason - we stand for America's children!"

The crowd positively roared, and Tris could not help the wide grin that split her face.

"Let me introduce the people on the stage this afternoon who are here to stand with us," she continued. "Senate candidate Andrew Prior and his daughter Tris," she said. Tris and Andrew waved as the emcee waited for the clapping to diminish, then introduced the next person and the next down the double row of dignitaries, ending with Governor Eaton.

"Each of the people on this stage are here because they stand with us and they stand with children. Several of them will speak to you today about their work and their stories. Please watch this introductory video," she said.

The lights dimmed, and Tris eyed the audience as they watched the short video that the American Family Foundation had put together about her, Eric, and Ava. Tris saw several people wiping their eyes as they heard about the infant's abandonment and rescue then saw her bright, chubby face on the screen.

When the video ended and the house lights came on again, the emcee welcomed Tris to the podium. She smiled a shaky smile as she took her place at the lectern and adjusted the microphone. She saw Natalie and Matthew in the front row, and smiled at them.

"Thank you," Tris said hoarsely, then cleared her throat and tried again. "Thank you," she said in a stronger voice. "As Ms. Andersen said, my name is Tris Prior, and I am pleased to tell you that I am no one special. I was just a seventeen-year-old high school student out for a run one morning when I found that abandoned baby. I am not a hero. I'm not a soldier, or a first responder. To be honest, I'm not even CPR certified since I'm a bit overdue on renewing that," she affected a guilty expression and paused for the audience's light laughter.

"I am no one special," Tris repeated, "yet I saved a child's life. Not because of who I am or anything I did, but simply because I was paying attention. Let me repeat that. I. Paid. Attention. That's all. For many of the children you encounter every day, what they need is an adult who pays attention. Someone to notice that they're struggling with reading and to give them a little extra help. Someone to notice that they're hungry and to help their family find resources. Someone to see that they are hurt and scared and to get the authorities involved in protecting and defending them."

Tris noticed heads nodding and felt encouraged as she continued. "When I found that tiny little six pound newborn baby tossed beside a trash can like a piece of litter, the thing that struck me and stuck with me is that that tiny scrap of humanity was a _person_, someone with unlimited potential and a future. I named her Ava Hope because it means 'where there is life, there is hope'. That beautiful little girl might grow up to be a teacher, a doctor or researcher, a public servant, a lawyer, or an advocate like you and make a difference in the world. She has life and she has hope because I simply paid attention.

"I urge you, pay attention to the children. I plead with the politicians on this stage and in our state capitals, pay attention to the children. I beg the lawmakers in Washington DC, pay attention to the children. They rely on us, and they will be our future! Thank you."

The crowd leapt to its feet and roared with approbation. Tris felt tears spring to her eyes as she absorbed their encouragement. The emcee came toward the podium, so Tris turned to leave, but the woman grabbed her shoulders and kept her there, signaling for Andrew to join them as well.

"Ladies and gentlemen," she said as soon as she could be heard over the din. "Tris Prior and her father, Senate candidate and long-time foster parent Andrew Prior!"

After another round of applause, Andrew walked his daughter back to her seat. "That was amazing!" he said.

Tris smiled and waited for the next speaker.

"Oh my word!" Ellen said energetically. "I had no idea when we asked an eighteen-year-old to come and speak that we were going to get that kind of rousing and passionate performance! I'm ready to hit the streets, how about you?" The crowd cheered again, and the emcee transitioned to introduce the second speaker.

Tris and Andrew gave their full attention to the next four speakers. Each of them had a compelling story and an encouraging but brief speech that stirred the crowd. They spoke of gains that their organizations had made or legislation that they had fought for, and the audience was moved by each of them.

When the four openers were finished, the emcee took the podium again and announced that Illinois governor Marcus Eaton had a few words before the American Family Foundation's national president would "bring it all home" and conclude the rally.

Tris plastered a polite smile on her face as Marcus walked to the podium. She stared directly at his back and prayed that his well-known long-winded ways would be different today.

"Thank you," the governor said as he adjusted the microphone in front of him.

Suddenly, Tris heard a loud popping sound. Screams erupted around the auditorium as Marcus fell to the ground a few feet in front of her. Tris felt like she was under water watching everything in slow motion as the governor clutched his chest and a large red stain blossomed on the back of his pale blue shirt.

_Pop, pop_. She tried to duck for cover. Andrew pushed his daughter to the ground and covered her with his body. Tris thought she heard someone yelling her name and Andrew's as everything went black.

.

Pain. White-hot searing pain on the side of her head. Tris groaned.

"She's coming around," said a strange authoritative voice.

"It's okay, Duchess." She recognized Eric's voice. "You're alright. Just relax." He sounded worried, shaken, but still soothing. She felt him clutching her hand, which he pressed to his lips.

Tris groaned again as she tried to open her eyes. _The rally. Popping sounds. Marcus bleeding out the back of his shirt. Was I shot?_ she wondered as the pieces came together in her mind.

Her eyes opened, and she saw Eric's worried face. He tried to smile at her, but he looked too upset to pull it off. Glancing around, she saw that they were in an ambulance, not a hospital room.

"They shot the governor," she said to Eric, who nodded. "Was I shot too?"

"No," Eric breathed as his eyes welled up with tears. "Thank God, no. You just hit your head."

"My dad!" Tris said in sudden alarm. She tried to sit up but Eric and the medic held her back.

"He's fine," Eric said. "I promise, Baby, he's unharmed and he's with your mom. She's fine, too. Lay down."

Tris reluctantly obeyed. "Where's Ava?" she asked.

"At home with Tori," Eric said as he stroked Tris' cheek.

"Did you come to see me speak?" Tris asked as she continued to put the whole story together.

"I did," Eric confirmed. "You were amazing. I'm so proud of you."

"I'm glad you're here," Tris said. She felt sleepy again.

.

Tris spent two days in the hospital with a concussion and a knot on the side of her head. Eric stayed with her as much as he could. He, Natalie, Andrew, and Caleb traded off babysitting duties and hospital visits. Christina, Marlene and Uriah, and Susan also visited, though they hadn't been allowed to stay long. Many friends sent flowers, including the Dauntless trainers, and church people brought food to the Priors' home.

Two days after the attack, Tris was noticeably more alert. She was happy to see Eric and Natalie, who arrived together as soon as visiting hours began.

"Where's Ava?" Tris asked.

"Duchess, you know I can't bring her here," Eric said.

"I know," Tris said sadly. "I haven't seen her in almost a week. I miss her."

"She misses you, too," Natalie assured her daughter.

"Do you think I might get out of here today?" Tris asked hopefully.

"I think so," Natalie said. "Has the doctor been in yet this morning?"

Tris started to shake her head but stopped at the prickle of pain. "No," she said instead.

While they waited for the doctor to come by, Tris asked about Marcus and the attack at the rally. With her concussion she hadn't been allowed to watch any television or use her phone or a computer, so she didn't know any of the details, and no one had talked about it with her during her stay in the hospital - at least not that she could remember.

Eric and Natalie explained that the gunman had fired three shots, two at Marcus and one to end his own life. He left a note making a number of accusations against the governor, including the child abuse, selling pardons, and buying prostitutes that Eric had heard about from Tobias, plus additional claims. The gunman had scheduled an outgoing email with the same accusations to many media outlets, and those messages had video and document proof attached. Marcus was going to survive the shooting, but his political career was DOA, and he would spend the rest of his life in prison if even half of the allegations could be proved in court.

No one else was seriously injured in the attack. One woman suffered a broken arm in the chaos of everyone trying to run from the shooter. Others suffered bumps and bruises. Apparently Andrew and his campaign had been busy handling the media in relationship to both the attack and the allegations against the governor.

"How's Dad?" Tris asked after Eric and Natalie filled her in on the latest news about the shooting.

"Busy," Natalie said. "But he'll be here later to see you. He feels terrible about what happened to you. He blames himself."

"Why?" Tris asked, alarmed.

"You hit your head when he pushed you to the ground," Eric explained.

"So?" Tris asked. "He potentially kept me from getting shot. He covered me with his own body while some nut was shooting at us. If the chaos led to a bump on my head that's a hell of a lot better than a gunshot wound!"

"Calm down, Baby Girl," Eric warned her. "Natalie and I agree with you. You can tell him that later."

The doctor arrived then. She examined Tris, shining a light into her eyes and checking her vital signs. She was pleased with Tris' progress and the improvement in her alertness and mental clarity.

"I don't see any reason to keep you here," the doctor said. "If you promise to rest for a few days, you can go home this afternoon."

Tris grinned, and Eric and Natalie thanked the doctor as she left.

"The next question is where you want to go," Eric said. "I'd like to have you with me, but I think your parents feel the same way."

Natalie nodded.

"What does everyone's schedule look like this week?" Tris asked, not wanting to decide between her parents' wishes and her boyfriend's.

"Caleb leaves on Wednesday," Natalie said. "Dad is working around the clock, and I'm home until Friday. Over the weekend we have a couple of events, so I'd like you to stay with Eric when we're gone."

"I'm at the school half days all week," Eric said. "I've been taking Ava with me, so you don't have to worry about her."

"I think it's a pretty easy decision then," Tris said. "I'll go home for the rest of the week and go to Eric's over the weekend. I need to call Jim, too. I think I was supposed to be at work today. It is Monday, right?"

"Yes," Natalie said with a smile for her daughter. "It's Monday. Jim called me this morning. One of your coworkers knew you were speaking at the rally, so when he heard about the shooting, he looked up the news reports. Clips of your speech have been on the news with the report that you were among the injured, but of course most of the coverage has been about Marcus."

"It's quite the story," Eric said. "The governor was shot, and then all these allegations. You haven't been the media focus, so don't worry about that. There will probably be some cameras when we leave the hospital, but we'll try to arrange it between the noon news' live report and the evening news reports."

"And Jim was okay with me being gone?" Tris asked.

"You're in the hospital, Sweetheart," Natalie said. "What else can he say?"

"I guess he could fire me," Tris said. "But I doubt he'd do that. Jim is a nice guy and a good boss."

"He was very nice," Natalie said. "You have nothing to worry about."

Tris sighed. "I have plenty of things to worry about," she said, "but Jim isn't one of them. Mom, would you mind giving Eric and I a few minutes?"

"Sure," Natalie said. "I think I'll take some of these flowers back to the house and get you some clothes."

"Thanks," Eric and Tris replied in unison.

Natalie gathered some floral arrangements and left.

"Will you lay with me?" Tris asked Eric as she scooted to the far side of her hospital bed.

Eric carefully climbed onto the bed, rolling onto his side in an attempt to fit beside Tris. "I like my king sized bed better," he said.

"I like your bed better, too," Tris replied with a smile.

Eric reached over and ran his thumb down Tris' cheek. "Duchess," he said, his voice little more than a whisper. "When I heard those shots and saw you go to the ground…" He shook his head as a tear rolled out of his eye.

Tris reached out and swiped the tear off Eric's temple. She put her hands on his cheeks and stroked across his eyebrows with her thumbs.

"I love you Warrior," she said gently. "I'm so sorry I fought with you last week. I'm sorry I stormed out instead of talking to you. I'm sorry I said things that hurt you."

"I'm sorry too," Eric replied in a husky voice. "I'm sorry I made you feel inferior and called you a babysitter. I was trying to make a point, but I hurt you. If you want to have a job, we'll make it work. I can put Ava in daycare more hours if that helps."

"We can talk about it when I'm better," Tris said. "I'm not really with it enough to make decisions about working right now. I do think I'm going to quit at Flapjacks, though. The hours just don't work with my school schedule, and now that I have a concussion I'll be out for a while anyway. There's no reason for me to take time off just to quit once I feel better. I should let him know I'm quitting, and he can replace me now."

"Your brain seems to be working fine to me," Eric said with a gentle smile. "Can I tell you something?"

Tris nodded.

"I know it's selfish," Eric said, "but I was hoping you would come home with me. Watching you hit the ground and not get up… It shook me, Tris. I thought you were shot, maybe dead, and all I could think was that we fought about something stupid. I thought I lost you, and that our last conversation, our last day together was a stupid fight about money. I wanted to say 'I love you' one more time. I wanted to tell you that I came to see you speak, and that you were amazing. I wanted to tell you I'm proud of you. I… I couldn't breathe. I felt like the wind was knocked out of me and I just ran!"

Tris pressed her forehead to Eric's, her hands still on his cheeks. He sobbed, then quieted, and they held one another as they cried silently for several minutes.

"You'll come home with me, right?" Tris asked in a whisper. "It just makes sense for me to go home with my mom. Caleb is leaving and you have to work. I'll come with you over the weekend, and you can be at the house with me all week if you want."

Eric nodded. "I'd go anywhere with you, Duchess."

Tris snuggled into Eric and he wrapped his arms around her.


	30. Chapter 30

A tapping on the door of Tris' hospital room woke Eric. He looked over his shoulder and saw that it was a little after noon, and Andrew was standing in the doorway. Eric looked down at Tris, still sleeping peacefully in his arms.

"Don't wake her," Andrew said quietly. "The nurse told me she has been having nightmares. She needs the rest to recover."

Eric nodded and maintained his position wrapped around Tris in her hospital bed.

"How is she?" Andrew asked. "Nat said she's coming home today."

Eric nodded. "Better than yesterday," he said in a quiet voice. "She's clearer, more aware, less groggy. She knew what day it was, talked about work, and asked about the shooting. She's worried about you. I don't think she remembers seeing you here. Her memory still seems a bit spotty, but she's coming around."

"Good," Andrew said. He walked to the side of his daughter's bed opposite Eric, and reached out a shaky hand to stroke Tris' long hair. "I failed her. As the father of a daughter, protecting her is your first job. It becomes part of your very DNA. I didn't listen to you about Marcus, Eric. I didn't listen to you, and Tris could have been shot."

"She wasn't," Eric interrupted. "You and I both, we need to stop torturing ourselves with what could have happened. It _didn't_. You listened to me. You kept your distance from Governor Eaton many times. It's not your fault that some guy tried to assassinate him when you were there. You threw yourself on top of Tris to keep her safe. What more can you do?"

Andrew laughed, a dry, sarcastic sound. "She's in that bed because of me. I'm the reason she has that concussion."

"You're also the reason she doesn't have a gunshot wound," Eric argued. "She doesn't blame you, and no one else does either."

Andrew sighed.

"No," Tris mumbled in her sleep as she began stirring. "No."

Eric wrapped his arms more firmly around his sleeping girlfriend. "Shhh," he whispered. "It's okay Duchess. You're safe. I've got you."

Tris sighed in her sleep and quieted.

.

When the discharge paperwork was completed and Tris was dressed in her own clothes, Eric took her out a side exit and put her into his truck. At the same time, Andrew was on the front lawn of the hospital answering reporters' questions.

"Mr. Prior!"

"Mr. Prior!" they clambered.

"Is your daughter still in the hospital?"

"Do you have any update on your daughter's condition?"

"Have you seen the new video of Governor Eaton hitting a prostitute?"

"Do you have any comment on the allegation that the governor has ties to organized crime?"

Andrew held up his hands, calling for quiet. "Ladies and gentlemen, please. I'm glad to tell you all that my daughter has been released from the hospital and is resting comfortably at home. We request that you continue to give our family the privacy and quiet she needs as she recovers.

"As for the governor, I'm afraid I don't have anything to contribute to your reports. The investigation is ongoing, and you will receive information as it becomes available. We do want to encourage anyone with information on the investigation to contact the task force.

"The information we have been receiving from the investigation is appalling. If even a few of these allegations turn out to be true, then this is a disgrace to the great state of Illinois. Our people deserve better. Our people _are_ better."

Declining to answer any further questions, Andrew left the reporters and went home.

Back at the Priors' house, Eric tucked Tris into her bed. Natalie had cleaned Tris' room a bit, put the flower arrangements in there, and prepared a light lunch for her daughter. Tris was eager to see Ava, but she was surprised by how tired she was just from checking out of the hospital and riding home. Eric insisted that she rest first, but promised to bring his daughter to see her after they both had a nap.

.

Eric was in the guest room changing Ava's diaper after her nap when a scream pierced the air. Ava began wailing "mama, mama" as tears rolled down her chubby cheeks. Eric fastened the new diaper in record speed, and ran to Tris' room with Ava in his arms.

Natalie ran up the stairs at the same time Eric came out of the guest room with Ava. She opened the door to Tris' bedroom and revealed her daughter thrashing in her sleep, clearly in the throes of another nightmare.

"No!" Tris shouted. "Ava! No!"

"Ma ma ma!" Ava called, reaching for Tris as tears rolled down her chubby cheeks.

Natalie sat on the bed and wrapped her arms around her daughter. "Tris," she said gently but firmly. "Wake up, Honey, you're dreaming."

Eric sat on the edge of the bed. He had his hands full trying to wrangle his distressed little girl.

"Tris," he added his voice to Natalie's. He wanted to pull Tris into his arms and make everything okay, but it took both hands to contain Ava as she squirmed.

"Mama!" the baby wailed.

"Ava!" Tris yelled as she sat up in bed and her eyes flew open.

Tris grasped frantically for the baby who was reaching just as desperately for her. Eric helped them come together, then wrapped his arms around both of his girls as they sobbed.

"Duchess," he said soothingly in Tris' ear, "you need to calm down, Baby. You're scaring Ava. It's okay. Everything is okay. It was just a dream."

"He… hurt… her," Tris sobbed. "He… hurt… my… baby. My Ava."

"Mama, mama," Ava continued to cry.

"It's okay," Tris comforted. "Mama won't let the bad man hurt you. Mama's right here, Sunshine."

"Daddy's here too," Eric said. "And Grandma, and Papa, and Caleb. No one is going to hurt Ava, Duchess."

Natalie rubbed her daughter's back. "We're all here for you, Sweetheart. You need to calm down."

Tris sucked in big gulps of air. "It's okay," she said, though Eric wasn't sure if she was talking to herself, Ava, or him and Natalie. "I'm okay. It was just a dream."

"Just a dream," Eric repeated.

Tris sniffled, then smiled at Ava. "I've missed you, Sunshine," Tris said to the baby.

Ava smiled brightly, though her cheeks were still wet with tears.

"There you go, Duchess," Eric said with a smile for his girls.

"I'm sorry," Tris said to Natalie and Eric.

"You have no reason to be sorry, Sweetheart," Natalie assured Tris. "If you're okay now, I'm going to go work on dinner."

"Thanks Mom," Tris said sheepishly, nuzzling into Ava's neck and blowing raspberries.

The baby laughed, and everyone smiled. Natalie kissed Tris on the head, then patted Eric on the shoulder as she walked out of the room.

"I'm sorry," Tris repeated to Eric.

Eric pulled her closer and kissed her forehead. "Your mom was right," he said. "You have nothing to apologize about. You've been through trauma, and you had a bad dream. It's okay. Do you want to talk about it?"

Tris shook her head. "It… It was Marcus. He… he hurt Ava."

Tris smiled at Ava, but her eyes filled with tears.

"He can't hurt us," Eric said. "He's in the hospital, and when he gets out, he's going to jail. We haven't done anything to get him upset at us, anyway. You just got caught in the crossfire of his chaos. He's going to get what he deserves."

Tris nodded. "I know," she said. "It's just… I don't remember things, and what I do remember is like slow motion, and it's scary, and confusing. I'm scared, Eric." A tear trickled down Tris' cheek.

"I know," Eric comforted her. "I know. And I'm here for you. Let us take care of you for a while. You don't have to remember everything or figure everything out. We'll keep you safe. Just relax and lean into me, Tris. Lean into us."

.

A week and a half later, Tris had to be at the university for freshman orientation. Andrew was away for the weekend campaigning, and they originally planned for Natalie to be with Ava and for Eric to go to work. After the shooting and Tris' injury, Eric decided to attend orientation with Tris. Surprisingly, she accepted.

The shooting and her ensuing recovery had deeply shaken Tris. The nightmares that followed hadn't helped. Though Tris had chosen to go home with her parents, Eric ended up staying with them for the rest of that first week. It was the only way any of them got any sleep.

Over the weekend, when Natalie and Andrew had campaign commitments and Caleb had flown back to school, Eric had taken Tris back to his home. He reminded her regularly that she should lean on him and trust him to keep her safe.

When her parents came home, Eric moved Tris back to her home. He hadn't needed to stay after that; Tris was doing better as she healed. She and Natalie cared for Ava during the days when Eric needed to be at school getting ready for the new year, and as the week progressed, Tris had taken on more and more of the baby's care.

When orientation came around, Tris was feeling pretty much like her old self again, though she was still prone to headaches and fatigue, and sometimes struggled to sort things out in her mind. When Eric informed her that he had taken that Friday off to attend with her, she hadn't even resisted. In fact, she seemed grateful, which alarmed Eric, who was used to her stubborn independence.

"Are you sure you're ready to start school?" Eric asked as he drove them to orientation.

"I think so," Tris said. "I have times when I still struggle to concentrate, but it's getting better. And I'm allowed some screen time now. I emailed all of my professors the other day and told them what happened. The professor of my one online class offered to print the readings for the first two weeks. That will cut my screen time to just the online discussion and writing a quick response paper about the readings."

"That was nice," Eric replied.

Tris nodded. "The other professors I've heard back from were kind, too. Most told me that the first week is a slow start and I should let them know if there is anything they can do to help."

"Teachers and professors _want_ to help," Eric said as he pulled his truck into a spot in the designated parking lot. "It's students who come to us later with a bullshit story that we can't stand. If a student comes to me and says 'I have this issue, but I'm going to do my best,' I'm happy to help. But when they say 'I failed and it's because of this,' it just sounds like excuses. You were smart to be upfront about it."

"I didn't want to," Tris confessed as they unbuckled their seatbelts. They got out of Eric's truck and joined hands as they began walking to the check-in tent on the university's rolling green lawn space. "I wanted to just do it myself. My mom suggested I at least contact the instructors for my online classes since I'm still struggling with backlit screens. Then I ended up just emailing all of them. Showing up with excuses on day one makes me feel weak."

"I understand," Eric said. "But don't think of it as an excuse. Think of it as a warning. You and the professor are a team with the same goal - for you to learn this material. You're warning them that you may struggle at first, for a legitimate reason. They'll quickly see that you're a good student who works hard. Besides, I'm sure they all know about the rally and the governor getting shot."

Tris and Eric got in line with the other students and parents with last names beginning with N, O, and P. It was the longest line, and Eric nudged Tris' shoulder and pointed to the much shorter A, B, C line.

"If you had a different last name we wouldn't have to wait so long," he teased, then watched her reaction carefully.

Tris held up her empty left hand. "That's not really up to me," she said, rolling her eyes.

Eric grabbed Tris' hand and dropped to one knee. Her eyes went wide with what Eric could only describe as panic. He kissed her hand and looked up at her, trying not to laugh.

"Tris," Eric said in his most sincere voice. "You need to let go of my hand so I can tie my shoe."

Tris tossed her head back and laughed. "Coulter, you scared me there," she declared. "I thought I was going to have to turn down the world's worst proposal in front of all these witnesses!"

"World's worst, huh?" Eric said as he stood and threw an arm around Tris' shoulders. "You don't find waiting in line at college orientation romantic?"

"Not to mention," she added, "I'm just eighteen and we've been dating for all of three months."

"Three months today," Eric said, wrapping his other arm around Tris.

She smiled up at him, then rested her head on his chest.

They eventually made their way to the front of the line, got checked in, and went to the auditorium for the opening session, which was long and boring. That was followed by breakout sessions for the parents and ice breaker games for the students, who had been divided into smaller groups by their majors. Eric was wary, but Tris gamely participated.

After the games came a campus tour, which included lunch in the cafeteria. All during the meal, Eric kept an eye on his girlfriend. This was the most active day she'd had since her concussion. Tris was a good sport and had pushed herself to participate in everything, but Eric could see the fatigue behind her eyes.

After lunch their group continued the tour, ending in front of the administration building, where another team-building game was set up. Many of the students had academic advisory appointments set up, and Eric was relieved that Tris' appointment would spare her from running around in another silly activity.

When they entered the administration building, Eric was prepared to sit in the waiting area while Tris had her credit transfer meeting. He was surprised when she pleaded for him to come along.

"Please, Eric," Tris said, pulling on his hand.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned by her abnormal lack of confidence.

"I'm just tired," Tris said, not making eye contact. "I don't want to forget anything important. Please can you help me?"

Eric wrapped his arms around Tris, holding her close for a moment. "Anything you need," he told her. "Lean into me."

Tris nodded against his chest. "I just hate feeling like my own brain isn't cooperating."

"It'll get better," Eric promised. "I got a concussion once in a football game. It sucks, but you'll feel better and better. I promise. And I'll carry you as much as you need me. You know how I love to hold you."

Tris sighed contentedly.

The meeting went well at first. The registrar was kind. He asked about Ava, and Tris' health and her father's campaign. The three of them made pleasant small talk. The registrar pulled up a copy of Tris' transcript, and they compared it to her major's requirements.

Eric asked a few questions about Tris' requirements and how they compared to classes he had taken at the university. Tris rested her head on Eric's shoulder as the two men chatted.

"Who teaches the education psychology class?" Eric asked. "I would have liked to take that one. Maybe I can steal your book when you get to it, Tris."

"Uh, Mr. Coulter?" the registrar said. "I think she's asleep."

Eric was instantly alarmed. It was definitely not like Tris to just pass out in the middle of a meeting. _Was the morning just too much for her, or is she not as okay as the doctors thought?_ Eric wondered.

He shifted Tris so he could see her face. "Tris?" Eric asked. She mumbled something, but didn't wake up. "Tris!?" Eric said louder, panic tinging his voice.

"Eric," Tris mumbled, but didn't fully wake up.

Eric dropped to his knees in front of the chair where Tris slumped. He took her face in his hands. "Tris!" he called, patting her cheeks in a desperate attempt to wake her.

"Eric?" Tris asked as she came around. "What's wrong? Where's Ava?"

"You passed out," Eric said, touching her face gently.

"I what?" Tris asked, looking up at her surroundings. "Oh my God!" she said as her eyes settled on the anxious-looking registrar on the other side of his desk. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I'm so sorry!"

"That… that's quite alright," he replied. "Should I, um, should I call for someone?"

"Oh no!" Tris answered as her panicked gaze snapped to Eric. "I'm fine! I just fell asleep. I'm so sorry!" She looked back at the registrar. "I had a concussion recently, it just makes me really tired, especially after all that walking on the tour."

"It's quite alright," the registrar repeated. "I understand about your recovery. As long as you're okay, it's no big deal. Let me just print out this credit evaluation for you, and you can go home and rest."

"What about the rest of orientation?" Tris asked the men.

"Duchess," Eric said in a warning tone.

"You've done the important things," the registrar assured her. "You got your packet, and your ID card, you had your tour, and you've been here to talk to me. The rest is mostly games. I'll let the orientation team know you're not feeling well. It will be fine."

The older man rushed out to get the papers off his printer.

"Eric!" Tris hissed. "Oh my God. That's so embarrassing!"

"Duchess, this is not okay," Eric said. "I want to have you looked at."

"I… I just fell asleep!" Tris objected.

"I couldn't wake you up!" Eric argued. "I'm taking you back to the doctor. I already texted your mom, and she's calling the doctor."


	31. Chapter 31

"Miss Prior, it looks like everything is just fine," the doctor assured Tris, who looked over at Eric's sheepish expression and rolled her eyes at him. "I think you just overdid a bit this morning. You should ease into things more."

"I've done nothing but stay home, nap, and play with the baby since I got out of the hospital," Tris protested.

"Still," the doctor said, looking at Tris with displeasure. "You shouldn't have played games. Running around is still too much for you. If you'd hit your head again, that could have been catastrophic. You need a few more weeks."

Tris huffed and refused to make eye contact with Eric again.

"What about going back to school?" Eric asked.

Tris and the doctor talked about her schedule and class load for a few minutes. He assured her that although the first days would probably wear her out, she was good to attend classes. He was also pleased to hear that her online class professors were making accommodations to limit her screen time.

"I want you to go home and take a little nap before dinner," the doctor instructed. "Doctor's orders. After dinner do something relaxing, and go to bed early. You'll feel better soon."

"Thank you," Eric said, shaking the doctor's hand as he stood.

"Thanks," Tris mumbled.

Eric walked them out to his truck. When he put a hand on Tris' shoulder, she pulled away from him abruptly, making him sigh. They drove to the Prior's home in silence.

Natalie and Ava met Eric and Tris at the door. Natalie made a beeline for her daughter, scrutinizing her as soon as she laid eyes on her.

"Mama!" Ava chortled, wiggling and waving her arms and legs when she saw Tris.

"Come see Daddy, Princess," Eric said as he reached for the baby. "Grandma needs to talk to Mommy."

"Da-da!" Ava cheered.

Tris smiled at the baby and rubbed her back. Eric could see that the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. He knew she was tired and frustrated with her recovery and everyone hovering. He decided to take Ava home for the evening to let Tris rest.

.

A couple hours later, Eric was cleaning up his dinner dishes when he got a text from Tris.

**T: Why did you leave?**

**E: I wanted you to relax, and Ava can be noisy. Besides, I thought you were sick of everyone hovering, so I decided to get out of the way.**

**T: She doesn't bother me. Her noise is part of my normal.**

**E: I know. But a concussion isn't part of your normal, so I didn't want to push it.**

**T: I'm tired of being treated like I'm fragile.**

**E: I know, Duchess, but right now you kind of are. Your brain needs to rest.**

.

On Monday Tris went to her first day of class at the university, and Ava went to her first half day in daycare while Eric spent the morning at school. He had a few days until the students came, and the Dauntless staff was nearly ready.

After her class ended early, Tris drove to Factions, and let herself into the Dauntless offices. The office was really one big room with a lounge area in the front, and a work area in the back with six cubicles for the trainers and an actual office for Max. Much of the space was filled with sporting equipment, and it tended to be messy and chaotic.

"Hey Tris!" Tori greeted her when she arrived.

"Hey Tori," Tris answered. "Is Eric still here?"

Tori laughed. "Are you here to pick up Ava with him? He's been a basket case all day, checking his phone and worrying about her."

"Sorry," Tris said sheepishly. She had done pretty much the same thing when she was in class, and had barely stopped herself from calling Melanie and checking on Ava between classes. "It's her first day in daycare."

"Oh, I know," Tori said. "Eric has mentioned it a few dozen times. He's in Max's office; I'll get him for you."

She picked up the phone on a nearby table and hit a button. "Hey Max, there's someone here looking for Eric. Something about teachers who flirt with underage students?" she was quiet for a second, and Tris tried not to giggle.

Max's office door flew open and Eric stormed out, followed by Max. When they saw Tris, their faces registered relief, then Eric's showed pure joy.

"Hey Jailbait," he said as he greeted Tris with a kiss.

"I told you never to call me that again," Tris said, swatting at Eric.

Tori laughed. "Is that what the two of you are into? You get in bed together and he calls you 'jailbait' while you call him 'coach'?"

"No," Tris said emphatically.

"You should hear what her brother did," Eric laughed. "Last Christmas when we were getting to be friends and I was _not_ her teacher, Caleb got ahold of Tris' phone and set my ringtone to 'Hot for Teacher'. It took like three months for her to even hear it because I got hired here and didn't call her until we were dealing with the custody stuff for Ava."

Tris rolled her eyes. "My mom nearly fell out of her chair laughing," she said. Max and Tori laughed, too.

"You should totally change it back to that now that you're together," Tori said.

"Too soon," Tris groaned. "I mean, it's been what, five minutes now since someone gave me shit? And a couple weeks or so since I was assaulted over it or saw it on a paparazzi site. I can finally go out in public without hiding; I'm not ready to start that again."

Eric put an arm around Tris. She couldn't see his expression, but Tori and Max could, and they could see that her words bothered him.

"You should go spring Ava from baby jail," Max said. "Grab some lunch or something, have a quiet afternoon. Enjoy your family time while you can." He patted Eric on the shoulder and turned to go back into his office.

"Sorry we gave you a hard time," Tori said. "You know we love you, and we're on your side, right? We all know you didn't do anything wrong, and we're glad you're together."

"I know," Tris said brightly, but Eric just nodded in quiet acknowledgment.

They left Tris' car at the school and rode together to pick up Ava from daycare. Eric was quiet on the ride over. He parked the truck on the street in front of Melanie's home.

"Okay, Warrior, what's bothering you?" Tris asked, reaching for Eric's hand before he could leave the vehicle.

"I'm fine," he said. "I just want to get Ava and make sure things went well for her this morning."

"Bullshit," Tris said stubbornly. "You were fine earlier, laughing and talking about Caleb's stupid prank, then you got all dark and moody. I want to know what's going on."

Eric sighed. "Fine. Tori's comments bothered me, okay? Our relationship has been hard on you, and I don't like being reminded of that. You faced accusations, invasive interrogation, assault, and some serious violations of your privacy because of me. You keep getting hurt, and I feel so selfish because I'm responsible for it. You would be better off without me, but I… I just can't give you up!"

Eric slammed the heel of his hand into the steering wheel, startling Tris.

"You listen to me," she snapped at Eric. "You have done nothing but love me and take care of me. Peter's attack was about Peter. He was a drunk idiot who couldn't accept that he was beat out by anyone, much less a small girl who originated from Abnegation. He said some shit, I said some shit, and his drunk ass lost it. That's. Not. Your. Fault.

"The stupid paparazzi thing was about the campaign. If my dad wasn't running for Senate, no one would have cared that a twenty-one-year-old went out to dinner with an eighteen-year-old he used to teach when he was a student teacher. Those trolls go looking for crap that they can blow up into a big deal. They create scandals so they can get clicks on their stupid website.

"And the so-called interrogation? That was to protect us both. It was awkward and inconvenient, but I wasn't hurt by it. I got to tell our truth and how we had done the right thing. Your coworkers have complete faith in you because they can trust that truth. I would do that again ten times over to protect your reputation, and your job, and everything.

"You have _not_ hurt me. We've argued, and we've had our growing pains, but you have _never_ hurt me. Being with you makes me happy. And if you ever try to break up with me because you stupidly think I'd be better off without you, I'll… I'll kick your ass!"

Eric's mouth turned up in an amused smirk. He grabbed Tris' face in his large hands and leaned toward her. Their lips met with a fiery intensity. Hands grasped and wandered frantically as they kissed one another. All the stress and pressure, all the fear and hope, all the love they had for one another was poured into that kiss.

They hadn't been physically intimate in some time. Not since their fight and Tris' injury, and they missed one another desperately. Before either of them realized what they were doing, Eric had dragged Tris across the console and she was straddling his lap.

"We can't… We can't do this," he groaned. "We're in a residential neighborhood in the middle of the day."

Tris laughed as she pulled back. Her cheeks were flushed beautifully pink and she was breathing heavily. She carefully extracted herself from Eric's lap and moved back into her own seat.

"Naptime," she said. Her single word was a promise, and it didn't help Eric cool down.

"Talk about something else," he begged her. "I can't go into a daycare like this."

Tris laughed again. "Um, I heard the Cubs lost last night," she said tentatively.

"Baseball," Eric chuckled. "That's not a cliche…"

"Fine," Tris retorted, pulling out the proverbial big guns. "Did you see Jeanine or Principal Roth at school today?"

Eric groaned. "Yup," he said, "that did it. I'm officially calmed down. Unfortunately thinking of them got me so turned off that I have to cancel our naptime plans, too."

Tris laughed. "A challenge," she teased. "I'll bet I can get you going again."

_Easier than you know_, Eric thought to himself.

.

Ava settled into daycare easily. Eric dropped her off every morning, and Tris picked her up at lunchtime. The girls often had lunch with Natalie before returning to Eric's house for the afternoon. Ava napped, and Tris worked on her homework. The school year started at Factions, and Eric settled in to his new routine as well.

After Tris' concussion, the couple hadn't really talked about their fight, or about Tris working. Both of them knew that they needed to settle things, but they were primarily focused on the adjustments of the new school year and Tris' slow but steady recovery. When they were hanging out together, Eric often took Tris' car to run quick errands, and she usually found her car full of gas when he returned. Sometimes there was cash, or a gift card with a little love note slipped into her purse or backpack. As long as he kept the gifts small, Tris allowed Eric to do that for her. She vowed that she would never ask him for money like an employee, but she accepted his gifts.

One day, Natalie was out of town with Andrew, so Tris and Ava went back to Eric's townhouse after their morning at school and daycare. The campaign was in its final stretch, and Tris' parents were gone more than they were home. When Tris let them into the house, her attention was caught by something new in the kitchen. It was a bold orange-red fox cookie jar that looked similar to the cartoon fox on the shower curtain in Ava's bathroom.

Tris grinned at the whimsical addition to Eric's home and lifted the fox's head to peek inside. The first thing she saw was a note from Eric. "Duchess," it read. "Sorry, no cookies. I plan to keep cash in here. Any time you want to take Ava out, need to run some errands, get low on funds, or need gas in your car, feel free to take what you need from the cookie jar. Anything you need or want, you never have to ask. I'll keep it stocked. Thank you for everything you do for me and Ava. We love you. -Eric"

Tris lifted the note and gasped when she saw several hundred dollars in twenty dollar bills. She felt a flash of anger, then calmed. Eric hadn't paid her. She didn't have to take a penny from him. He had simply left her the resources to do things like buy them groceries or take Ava to the pool without having to choke back her pride and ask him for money.

.

When Eric got home that night he was nervous. He and Tris both knew they needed to talk about money and Tris working, but they had been avoiding the conversation. He was terrified that they would fight again, and every time he thought about it, he remembered the sound of gunfire, seeing Tris hit the floor, and the immense weight of his regret as their fight hung over his head while he tried to find out if she was alive. He hoped that the cute little fox cookie jar would start the conversation, and that they could find a compromise that didn't involve Tris wearing herself thin juggling school, Ava, a job, and him.

The house was quiet when Eric arrived. The table wasn't set, it didn't smell like dinner, and the girls were nowhere in sight. It was quiet, too. Eric slipped off his shoes and stepped into the kitchen. His note was sitting on the countertop beside the fox cookie jar. _Okay_, he thought, _she saw the note_. There was nothing new written on the paper, and no note left anywhere for him. There was no sound of footsteps from upstairs, either. _Her car is here, and so is the stroller. Where could they be?_

Eric's heart rate increased. He ran upstairs, but the bedrooms were all quiet and still. He ran back down the stairs and saw Tris' purse and backpack sitting next to the couch. His chest squeezed painfully as he looked for signs of a forced entry or struggle, but everything in his house was normal except for the complete and total absence of Tris and Ava.

Eric yanked open the door to the unfinished basement and ran down the stairs. The space was as empty as always, just the rolled-up carpet he and Caleb had removed from the home gym and a few boxes of his parents' things that he had brought from storage. He raced back up the stairs, and there was Tris, standing in the kitchen with Ava on her hip like nothing had happened.

"Hey!" she greeted him.

"Dada!" Ava squealed.

"What were you doing in the basement?" Tris asked.

Eric stood and stared at the girls. "I…" he stammered. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

"In the basement?" Tris laughed.

"Dada!" Ava yelled impatiently.

Tris handed Ava to Eric and kissed him on the cheek.

"Where were you?" he asked, capturing her with his free arm and crushing her against his chest.

"Warrior, what's wrong?" Tris asked.

"You were gone," Eric said. "I looked all over the house for you. Your stuff is here, but you weren't. I thought you left."

"We were on the patio," Tris explained, still confused by Eric's panic. "I was starting the grill for supper. Is that okay? I thought we'd have burgers. I picked them up this afternoon, and got some potato salad and chips, too. Why are you so worked up about this?"

"I thought you left," Eric repeated. "I… The fox… and we need to talk, and I just thought… I thought you left!"

"Eric!" Tris said, growing alarmed by his unnecessary panic. "Nothing happened. We're _fine_. Calm down."

Eric took a deep breath and let it out slowly and shakily. "I'm sorry," he said, kissing Tris on the forehead and smiling at Ava.

"I've got burgers to put on the grill," Tris said, squeezing Eric before she walked away.

He followed her from the living room into the kitchen and out to the patio. He watched her put hamburger patties on his gas grill. He noticed that the patio table she had helped him buy at the beginning of the summer was set for two, and that Ava's travel highchair was attached to one of the patio seats. He saw the baby's toys on a blanket in the shade. Everything looked normal and comfortable, and he finally felt his anxiety release.

"I like your new cookie jar," Tris said, calmly bringing up the topic that was the real root of Eric's anxiety. "It's cute. It looks like the fox on Ava's shower curtain."

"I, uh, I got the idea online," Eric said. "I was reading about trip jars, and how some parents use them to enable their children's, um, caretakers to do things." He was careful not to use the word babysitter, and Tris noticed it.

"It's a good idea," she said. "Then I don't need to bother you if Ava and I want to go somewhere or do something. Would you like me to keep receipts? I put the receipt from the grocery store in the jar when we got home."

"No," Eric said. "I don't need receipts. And I thought we could kind of, um, expand on the idea. Like, you can use it for more than just things to do with Ava or stuff we need around the house. You can take what you want for yourself, too."

Tris nodded. "But I don't have to?" she asked.

"I hope you will," Eric prompted, "but I won't make you. I was also thinking I could take on a few of your expenses, since you're saving me so much money on daycare. I'd like to be responsible for your car if you'll let me. I can put you on my insurance, handle your maintenance and repairs, that kind of thing. I'd like to cover your school expenses, too. I know you have your scholarship, but I can take care of books, parking permits, supplies, anything like that."

Tris frowned, and Eric's heart raced as he watched her get up from the table and walk away. She went to the grill, lifted the lid, and flipped the burger patties.

"I don't want to be a burden on you," Tris said, still frowning as she sat down at the table again.

"You are the exact opposite of a burden," Eric assured her. "You do a lot for us, you save me a ton of money on childcare, and you've been there for Ava and I since day one. I want to take care of you, too. I want us to be a family and make this work. Our situation is weird-"

"Beyond weird," Tris interrupted.

"Yeah," Eric agreed ruefully. "But trying to be more traditional or typical or whatever isn't going to work for us. I mean, do you want me to put Ava in daycare full-time and you go to school and work some part-time job in the afternoons, then we just go out on dates on the weekends when I can get a babysitter? That's just not our story. I feel like we'd all be losing out if we tried to be more typical. We're a weird little family, Duchess, but we're happy that way. You're not Ava's mother, but she's your baby and you're her mama. You don't live here, but this is your home as much as your parents' house is. You're my best friend, my co-parent, and my lover. I have everything with you, and I want everything with you. You give us your heart, your time, your love, everything that you are and have, yet money is the sticking point with us. I don't want to lose you because you're afraid to share that part of my life. Relationships aren't fifty-fifty, they're one hundred-one hundred - you have to give it your _all_. That's all I'm trying to do. Not because I think you need me to get by, but because I need you, and I just want to give you everything."

"I'll be right back," Tris told Eric. "I'm not going anywhere; I promise."

Tris ran into the house, and Eric tried to focus on Ava to keep himself calm. The baby was getting fussy as it was dinnertime, and he worked to keep her happy.

Tris returned a minute later, her arms full of items for their dinner and Ava's. Eric strapped the baby into her seat and put a bib on her before grabbing the strained peas and a spoon. Tris put cheese on the burger patties to melt, and laid out the condiments, buns, chips, and salad on the table while Eric fed his daughter.

When the cheese was melted, Tris brought the burgers to the table and began dishing up their plates.

"Mmm," Ava said, smacking her lips over the strained peas.

"You think that's good," Eric said, "just wait until you can taste hamburgers. They're really yummy."

"Mmm," Ava repeated.


	32. Chapter 32

Eric and Tris didn't talk about money again until they had eaten, cleaned up dinner, and gotten Ava ready for bed. Once the baby was tucked into her crib, the couple made their way back out to the patio, baby monitor and glasses of iced tea in hand. Eric took a seat on one of the patio chairs, and motioned for Tris to sit on his lap. She did, and they both sighed contentedly.

They sat quietly for a few minutes, then Tris took a deep breath. "Okay," she said.

"Okay?" Eric questioned.

"Okay," Tris repeated. "You can take responsibility for my car and my school expenses. I won't get a job for now. I'll focus on school and taking care of Ava during the day, and we can spend our nights and weekends being a family. We're not a typical dating couple, and you were right that we don't want to be. I have to accept all the parts of that. We're more of a family than a boyfriend and girlfriend, and that's going to be reflected in how we do things. I'll quit standing in our way."

"Are you okay with that?" Eric asked. "Are you sure?"

"I guess," Tris said. "My needs are met, so I really can't complain. There's an element of independence I'll be losing. But I have the fox jar for anything Ava needs or anything we want to do together. And I have some savings that will take care of Christmas gifts and things like that. It's more important to be able to spend time with you and Ava."

"I hope you get comfortable enough to use the fox jar for yourself, too. And I'm also hoping that we can do our holiday shopping together. Christmas, family birthdays, all of it. We're a team and your family is the only family I have, so I was hoping we could handle those together. We can set a budget, talk about ideas, and you can shop and wrap gifts, and I'll pay. Then they'll be from the three of us, and you won't have to worry about paying for gifts."

"Except for you," Tris says.

"What I want most from you won't cost a thing," Eric growled, his mouth up against Tris' ear.

Tris shivered. "And what is on your wish list, young man?" she asked.

"Another yoga demonstration," Eric said in a low, husky voice.

"Hmm," Tris hummed. "You'll have to be a very good boy between now and Christmas."

"I can be very, very good for you," Eric said.

Tris moaned and leaned back against Eric's chest, and all talk of money was forgotten.

.

Autumn passed in a blur of red and gold swirling leaves, school days, and campaign appearances. Eric and Andrew had a private conversation about finances and the decisions that the young couple had made about their arrangements. Since Tris didn't live with Eric, she couldn't go on his auto insurance policy, so Eric payed Andrew for Tris' part of the bill. He also took Tris' car to a mechanic friend, who gave it a complete tune up, wash, and interior detail.

If all Tris would accept from him was her auto and education expenses, then Eric was determined to do everything he could within those parameters. In addition to the money he spent on Tris' car, he also used his savings to pay off the small student loan she had taken out to supplement what her scholarship didn't cover. Of course, Eric didn't tell Tris about that. Since the loan wasn't due to be paid back until after graduation, Tris didn't give it any thought. But when she accepted his offer to cover her education expenses, Eric had told Andrew about it, and Tris' dad happily conspired with her boyfriend. He was on Eric's side when it came to Tris deserving pay for caring for Ava. If this was the only way she would accept it, then he would help Eric pull it off.

What Andrew didn't know is that Eric and Tris had a conspiracy of their own. Eric had decided to buy Caleb a plane ticket home for his dad's election in November. The three of them kept it a secret from Andrew and Natalie, though Tris nearly spilled the beans several times.

Election day was on Tuesday, November 2, and Caleb was scheduled to fly in on Saturday, October 30. The family was due to appear that day at a large university's rally to encourage young people to register and vote. The event was non-partisan, and Andrew and his opponent were both scheduled to appear. In the afternoon, Tris, Andrew, and Natalie would work as volunteers talking to university students about the voting process. Eric and Ava were to join them in the evening when Andrew and his opponent addressed the crowd before a concert. Natalie had offered to take Ava home after the speech so Tris and Eric could stay to enjoy the show.

All afternoon Tris worked the phones. She answered questions about registering, voting, and other election issues. She checked the time frequently, excited to see her parents' reaction when Caleb walked in.

Finally, the Priors were called to the green room to go over the plan for Andrew's stage appearance. Eric had texted that they were nearby, so Tris replied with their exact location.

"Is Eric here yet?" Natalie asked her daughter.

"Just walking in," Tris assured her parents.

The green room door opened a crack, and Eric popped his head in. "Are we in the right place?" he asked, getting the family's attention.

He opened the door fully, and there was Caleb, with Ava in his arms.

"Caleb!" Natalie exclaimed, rushing to her firstborn.

"Bub-bub!" Ava cheered.

Eric tried to rescue his daughter as the Priors hugged their son, but Ava held firm.

"Bub-bub!" the ten-month-old cheered again. "Mama! Bub-bub!"

.

The campaign appearance went off without a hitch. The Priors all sported broad, genuine smiles, happy to have Caleb with them. Andrew and his opponent were cordial as they spoke to the students about the importance of voting and being politically active.

After the speech, the politicians and their families were taken back to the green room, where they got to meet the band. Despite being past her bedtime, Ava was in a good mood, and even let the band's frontman hold her for pictures.

The Priors didn't stay long. They took Ava home for the night, and Caleb went with his parents and niece. Tris and Eric stayed to enjoy the concert, then went home to enjoy having the house to themselves for the night.

.

Sunday saw the family in church then busy with last-minute campaign work. On Monday Caleb and Natalie worked with Andrew and the campaign team while Tris went to class, Eric went to work, and Ava went to daycare.

Tuesday was more of the same, but Eric took the afternoon off, and he, Tris, and Ava joined the rest of the family to go to their polling place and vote. Several reporters were there to record the momentous event. When Tris walked into the booth and voted for her very first time, she cast her ballot for her father, and it moved her to tears.

A reporter noticed as the family left. "Tris!" she called. "Do you have anything to say?"

Tris stepped away from her family and walked to the reporters. Eric and Andrew looked at one another, wondering what she was about to do.

"This is the first election I've been old enough to vote in," Tris said. "I can't imagine a better candidate to mark on my ballot than my dad. He's an amazing person, and the people of Illinois are going to love having him as their senator."

With a broad smile, Tris turned and rejoined her family. Andrew hugged his daughter and kissed her on the forehead. "Love you, Sweetpea," he said. "Thank you for everything you did during the campaign. You've been so strong."

.

On election night, Christina and Marlene kept Ava at Eric's while the Prior family attended their final campaign rally. The evening started with dinner for the campaign staff, then moved into a large ballroom filled with campaigners, volunteers, political cronies and supporters, and well-wishers.

Family friends were excited to see Caleb home for the event. Andrew's sister, Kathy, was there, along with her reporter friend, Jessica. Max and his wife had been invited, but were unable to attend. Amar, George, and Tori came to the rally to support Tris, Eric, and the family, as did Hana, Zeke, and Shauna. After an initial round of greeting the guests and thanking people for their support and help with the campaign, Andrew and Natalie had retired to a smaller room with their closest staffers to watch the election returns come in. Tris, Caleb, and Eric chose to stay in the ballroom with their friends.

Eric and Tori started talking about tattoos again. Tris and Eric hadn't gotten around to their tattoo date, though they had talked about it several times. George and Amar renewed their offer to watch Ava while the couple got inked together. They talked about school, and the football season. Amar complained to Hana that his team just wasn't the same now that both Pedrad boys had graduated. They were so relaxed just sitting around talking that Tris nearly forgot how nervous she was waiting on the election returns.

Caleb joined the group. Susan Black was with him, as was Bud, the photographer. "Bud!" Tris said, jumping to her feet to hug the large man. "I'm so glad you're here!"

She introduced him to the others sitting around together, and invited him to take a chair. He sat down between Tris and Tori. "Tori is one of Eric's coworkers," Tris explained. "She's a trainer at Factions High School and also a tattoo artist."

"Very cool," Bud said. "Do you do cover-up work?"

The two lapsed into a comfortable and friendly talk. It seems that Bud had tattooed his ex-wife's name on his shoulder, and now regretted it very much. The conversation moved into other regrettable tattoos Tori had inked or covered for customers, and what some of her favorites were, as well. Soon everyone around the circle was talking about their tattoos.

"Can I get your card?" Bud asked Tori. "I've been divorced for a few years, and other than having my ex's name tattooed on me, I've completely moved on. I'd like to lose that last reminder of our time together."

Tori fished in her purse for a business card, then scribbled on it with a pen. "I put my cell number on there, too," she said, and Tris noticed that the trainer's cheeks were a bit pink. "Call me sometime and we'll set something up. I keep hours in the summer, but during the school year I just take appointments. I'd be more than happy to help you forget all about your ex."

Tris's eyes went wide, and she snuck a peek at Eric. He had one eyebrow raised as he watched Bud grin and take the card from Tori. "I'd like that a lot," the photographer said.

Earlier than expected, Matthew took the stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please," the campaign manager said. "Andrew Prior will be on stage to address you all in ten minutes. Thank you."

Tris gasped. The announcement came early, and she could only hope that meant good news. She, Caleb, and Eric stood, and their friends all wished them luck as the guys each grabbed one of Tris' hands and they hurried to the room where Andrew and Natalie waited.

Matthew was at the door, and he greeted them with a smile. "Come in," he said.

Tris noticed that he looked excited, but she was afraid to get her hopes up. They walked into the room and immediately noticed Andrew talking on the phone. Natalie hurried to greet her kids, and she too sported a broad smile.

"Did we win?" Tris asked nervously.

Natalie didn't answer, but pulled her daughter in for a hug. Andrew hung up the phone and joined his family.

"Did you win?" Caleb asked his dad.

Andrew put an arm around Natalie and smiled at the eager faces of Caleb, Tris, and Eric. "I won," he said simply. "I'm going to be a senator."

Tris launched herself at her dad while Eric thumped Andrew on the back. Within seconds the Priors were one big group hug. "Can we pray together?" Andrew asked his family.

Everyone nodded, and they stood together in a knot of intertwined and overlapping arms as Andrew prayed. "Lord," he said. "Thank you for my family. Thank you for their love and support. Thank you for your protection over them through this campaign. Thank you for giving me the chance to serve the people of Illinois in the Senate. May I never forget the awesome responsibility of that office. I pray that you would guide me and give me wisdom to do this job well. Thank you for your many, many blessings. Amen."

"Amen," the family repeated.

Tris and Natalie wiped their eyes. Kathy came in, and they celebrated all over again as they told her about Andrew's victory.

After some quick touch ups to fix their hugged hair and makeup messed up by happy tears, the Prior family took the stage. Tris stood with Eric, their fingers twined together, and they smiled at the crowd as Andrew announced his victory, promised to work hard for his supporters, and thanked everyone for their hard work on the campaign. There was a balloon drop, confetti cannons, and every second was captured by a swarm of reporters with cameras.

The family left the stage to music and fanfare as their supporters celebrated Andrew's victory.

Eric and Tris didn't stay too late. They had to get home to Ava so Christina and Marlene could get home at a decent time. The babysitters had watched the news on television and were nearly as excited as Tris. Eric pulled two twenty dollar bills out of the fox cookie jar and gave one to each of Tris' friends.

"You don't need to pay us," Christina said. "We're your friends, and we love Tris' parents. Putting the baby to bed and watching TV all night so you could be there with them isn't a big deal."

"I insist," Eric said. "Buy yourselves coffee or something. To celebrate."

Christina and Marlene took the money and hugged Tris on their way out the door.

.

With the campaign behind them, Tris and Eric settled back into the school year. Caleb went back to his college, and Ava went back to half days at daycare. Tris registered for her second semester, and Eric and the other Dauntless trainers started planning their spring, too.

For Andrew and Natalie, things were a lot less calm. They flew to Washington DC to look at apartments, and they started planning what they wanted to take with them.

One day Tris picked up Ava from daycare and went to the Priors' for lunch. Andrew was back in Springfield, helping deal with the fallout of Governor Eaton's disaster. Natalie was home, sitting at the dining room table with a legal pad and pen. She looked frazzled.

"What's going on, Mom?" Tris asked.

"Trying to figure out the move," Natalie said distractedly. "The agent called this morning, and we got the apartment we wanted. Now I just have to figure out what to take and what to leave here."

"How big is the new place?" Tris asked, swallowing hard as she looked around her family home and wondered just how much things were about to change.

"Two bedrooms," Natalie replied, "though we're going to use the second bedroom as a home office. We'll have a pullout couch or air mattress or something for when you kids visit. I'm just trying to decide if we should bring furniture and things from home, or if we should leave things here and buy new things out there."

Tris was relieved that Natalie hadn't mentioned selling the family home, and she joined her mom in brainstorming while she fed Ava some lunch.

.

Back at Eric's place for the afternoon, Tris tried to concentrate on her homework, but she couldn't quit thinking about her parents' move. _It's not like they're really moving_, she reminded herself. _The house will be there, and Mom and Dad will come home sometimes_. But the truth was that things were about to change, and Tris was sad about it. More than once she swiped at a stray tear while she tried to focus on her homework.

.

When Eric came home from school, he could tell that something was bothering Tris. He greeted her with a kiss and a hug, and she held on a little tighter and longer than usual. On one hand, he was relieved that she clung to him because it meant that he wasn't the reason for her mood. On the other hand, he didn't know how to help her, and he hated that she was upset.

"Did you have a good day?" Eric asked.

"Yeah," Tris said noncommittally.

"Was Ava good for you?" he pressed.

Tris looked at him like he had lost his mind. "She was fine. Like always. Why? How was your day?" she asked.

"Fine," Eric said with a shrug.

Neither of them elaborated, and Tris went back to finishing dinner.

The meal was pleasant enough, but quieter than usual. Eric tried to start conversations, but Tris just answered in short phrases before spacing out again.

When they finished eating, Tris put Ava in the living room, surrounded by toys. The baby was ten and a half months old, and getting more mobile by the day. She crawled anywhere she wanted to go, and pulled herself to a standing position in the crib or when she was close enough to a couch or table to have something to hold onto. She was even letting go of the furniture and standing unaided for a few seconds at a time.

Tris walked back into the kitchen where Eric was loading their dinner dishes into the dishwasher. She grabbed the kitchen cloth and wiped down the highchair and dining room table. Eric started filling the sink so he could clean the hand-washed items. Tris joined him at the sink, grabbing a drying towel.

"Relax, Duchess," Eric encouraged. "Go play with Ava or relax for a bit. You seem tired, and there are just a few things to wash."

"I'm fine," Tris insisted, but Eric pushed her away with his hip.

"Go," he said, kissing Tris on the forehead.

Her shoulders slumped and she walked into the living room and plopped down on the recliner. Ava was standing beside the couch, and she squealed excitedly when Tris walked in.

"Mama mama," the baby said.

"Hey Sunshine," Tris said tiredly.

Eric heard the weariness in her voice and turned to look at his girlfriend just as Ava let go of the couch and took a shaky step in Tris' direction.

Tris gasped, and Eric grabbed the towel to dry off his hands and hurry to the living room.

"Come on, Ava," Tris encouraged, holding out her arms.

The baby took another wobbly step, then fell on her bottom.

"Yay!" Eric cheered, clapping his hands.

Ava grinned broadly and clapped her hands, too. Eric snuck a peek at Tris, and saw that tears were streaming down her face.


	33. Chapter 33

"Duchess?" Eric said worriedly. "What's the matter?"

He hurried to Tris' side as she threw herself into his arms and sobbed. Eric maneuvered himself onto the floor cross-legged with Tris on his right knee. With his other arm he reached out for Ava, helping her stand and supporting her as she walked to him.

"You're such a big girl," Eric cheered his daughter. "Tris? Why are you crying, Baby?"

"She's... getting... so… big…" Tris sobbed. "Everything… is just… changing… so fast!"

"Mama!" the baby exclaimed happily, banging on Tris' back with her little hands.

"Mama's silly," Eric said in a playful voice to the baby.

"Mama!" Ava repeated. "Boo!"

Tris turned to face the little one, who seemed to be mistaking her crying on Eric's shoulder for a game of peek-a-boo.

"Boo," Tris said, playing along.

But Ava caught one glimpse of her mommy's sad, tear-stained face and the game was cut short. Her bottom lip stuck out as her chin began to quiver and her own eyes filled with tears.

"Mama!" the baby wailed.

Tris slid from her perch on Eric's knee down into his lap as she took the growing baby into her arms.

"It's okay, Sunshine," Tris soothed. "You're such a big girl, aren't you? I can't believe you walked like a big girl. You're not really a baby anymore."

"Bebe!" Ava squealed, distracted by one of her newest words. She wiggled her way out of Tris' arms and crawled over to her favorite toy, a soft, stuffed baby doll. "Bebe!" she said again.

"There's your baby," Eric said with a smile for his daughter. "She really loves that baby."

Ava tried to crawl back to her parents with the baby doll, but crawling proved difficult with her hands full. Tris slipped off Eric's lap and went to Ava, helping her to her feet.

"Take the baby to Daddy," Tris prompted, letting go of Ava.

The little one took a few steps toward Eric, who held his arms out to encourage her. When she got to him, he pulled her into a big hug and blew raspberries on her cheeks and neck, making her giggle.

He looked up at Tris and saw that she was using her phone to capture the moment on video. Tears still trickled down her cheeks, but she was smiling.

After playing with Ava and getting her ready for bed, Tris and Eric curled up in the upholstered rocker with their baby-turned-toddler. Tris read a story while Eric gave Ava her bottle. When the little one was asleep they stayed in the chair for a while, quietly thinking about the little girl dreaming in her daddy's arms.

Tris was the first to break the spell. She kissed Eric on the cheek and wiggled off his lap. He silently followed her lead, rising from the chair and tucking Ava into her crib.

When Tris left the nursery, she went back downstairs and started gathering her things.

"You're not staying?" Eric asked.

Tris shook her head. "Mom is working on the move. I need to get home before she ships the whole house to DC."

Suddenly Tris' somber mood made sense. _If Natalie is packing up the only home Tris has known, and Ava is abandoning her infancy by walking, of course Tris is upset. So much is changing_, Eric thought to himself.

He crossed the room in three long strides and scooped Tris into his arms. "I love you," Eric said as he held her tightly, "and that is never going to change."

Tris nodded against Eric's chest and held on tightly to him. He kept his arms around her, letting her draw much-needed strength and security from his embrace, until she let go first.

"I need to get home," she said eventually.

.

Before they knew it, Thanksgiving arrived, and Caleb came home for a few days. Ava was thrilled to see her "Bub-bub" on Thanksgiving day, and as soon as Eric got her out of her coat, she walked right to him.

"Look at you!" Caleb exclaimed. "Where did my baby niece go?"

"Bebe!" Ava exclaimed, suddenly wiggling to get away. "BeeeeBeeee!" she yelled when Caleb didn't put her down right away.

Eric fished the stuffed baby doll out of the diaper bag. "Here's your baby," he said, handing the toy to his daughter.

"Bebe," Ava repeated, content to be held after reclaiming the beloved doll.

"She takes that doll everywhere," Tris said as she walked into the foyer.

"Mama!" Ava cheered.

Tris had been spending less time with Eric as her parents prepared for their move to Washington. Instead, he had hockey practice, and Tris and Natalie were busy sorting through things, selling or donating what they no longer wanted, and marking furniture and things with sticky notes labeled "stay" and "go."

They had decided that Natalie and Andrew would leave the kitchen table in Chicago as their new apartment had a breakfast bar, but they would take the dining room set for dinners and events that they would be expected to host. They also planned to take almost everything from the master bedroom, but would move the bed and dresser from the guest room into the master, and leave the guest room set up for Ava. Tris and Caleb's rooms would stay the same, of course, as would the family room, but the living room and home office/den furniture would mostly be moved.

Tris tried to lose herself in the planning and not give much thought to the fact that she would soon be living alone in a half-empty house. She knew that she would spend a lot of time at Eric's, and that he would probably invite her to move in with him if she even hinted at it. But she also knew that her parents were relying on her to take care of the house - get the mail, water the plants, mow the lawn, shovel snow, etc.

With all the upheaval, the whole family had been looking forward to Thanksgiving weekend. Tris and her parents were excited to have everyone under one roof, Caleb was glad to come home, though mostly to see Susan, if the truth were told. Eric was looking forward to a few days off from school and hockey so he could spend time with Tris.

As usual, Ava stole the show on Thanksgiving. She had the whole Prior family wrapped around her pudgy little finger. She happily toddled from adoring family member to adoring family member, babbling nonsense and occasionally mentioning "mama," "dada," her "bebe," and the other family members. She gave out hugs and kisses, and generally charmed her favorite people.

Tris and Natalie prepared a delicious feast, and Eric sat through dinner with an arm around his girlfriend, liberally complimenting the women on their cooking. Caleb and Andrew were generous with their praise as well, and Ava said "Mmm," as she squished more food into her hair and bib than in her mouth.

After the meal, Tris gave Ava a much-needed bath while Caleb and Eric did the dishes. When the baby was clean, Tris put her down for her nap, and the adults gathered in the family room for pie and coffee.

"When are you guys leaving for DC?" Caleb asked from his spot on the loveseat.

"We're going out there again at the beginning of December," Natalie replied. "There's so much to do to prepare for the move and your dad's new job."

"And when do you move?" Caleb asked.

"Right after Christmas," Andrew replied proudly. "We're sworn in on January third, so Mom and I will need to leave here on the twenty-sixth so we can get settled in before I get to work."

Eric was sitting in the big recliner, with Tris perched on the chair's arm. He saw her shoulders slump when her parents talked about the move, so he placed his dessert plate on a side table and pulled Tris onto his lap. She rested her head on Eric's chest with a sigh.

"I love you, Duchess," Eric said quietly in Tris' ear.

"I love you too, Warrior," Tris replied.

"Ava and I will be with you through the changes; you won't be alone."

Tris nodded against Eric. "I know," she said, dropping the subject as always.

Eric knew that the changes and her parent's move were weighing heavily on her, but he had yet to get her to open up about her feelings. He caught glimpses of it now and then, and he always gave her a little extra affection or encouragement when he did, but so far she had been completely closed off to the idea of really talking about it. As he hugged Tris tightly and rested his chin on the top of her head, Eric's made eye contact with Natalie. Tris' mom gave him a sad, knowing smile. It made him wonder if his girlfriend had been any more open with her parents than she had been with him.

Tris stayed tucked tight to Eric's chest as Andrew and Caleb spoke excitedly about the newly-elected senator's plans, and the events that had been scheduled for him and Natalie to attend. Eric listened, but his attention was really on Tris. At one point he felt dampness seeping through his shirt and realized that Tris was crying. He began rubbing her back gently.

They sat like that for some time before Natalie turned to Eric with a gentle smile. "She's sleeping," Natalie said of her daughter.

Eric sighed. "Has she said anything to you about the move?" he asked quietly. "She seems so down lately, but she won't come out and talk about it, at least not with me."

Natalie shook her head. "She gets quiet sometimes," she said, "but she doesn't really say anything."

"I think it's bothering her," Eric added.

"I'm sure it is," Natalie said. "When Caleb went off to school, he chose to leave. He also knew that home would be here waiting for him when he came back. Tris chose not to leave, but home is leaving her. I thought that since she was staying in the house, and since you and Ava are here, it wouldn't bother her so much. Apparently I was wrong."

"It's hard to be so young and see your childhood home boxed up and moved on," Eric said knowingly.

"Your situation was not the same," Natalie said sympathetically, "but it's nice to know that you can empathize with the parts that are similar."

"Oh, I know it's not the same," Eric said. "I had no warning and my parents were completely gone from my life in an instant. That's not something I would wish on anyone. You will be a phone call or text away, and we'll see you fairly often, I'm sure. But it's always hard to see your childhood home packed up and gone."

Natalie made a sound of agreement as she took a sip of her coffee. "My father had a heart attack and died young," she said. "He was only fifty-five. It was especially heartbreaking because my mother had early onset dementia. She was able to stay in their home when he was living, but without him, she was lost. Caleb was a baby then, and I had just found out I was pregnant with Beatrice. We were young, barely making ends meet, and we lived in a one-bedroom apartment. Andrew and I had to plan my dad's funeral, take over mom's finances and care, settle dad's estate…" She sighed, lost in the memories. "It was a lot. I remember how that felt. I thought it would be easier for Tris since we can do all the sorting together. That's the part that overwhelmed me the most - having to sort through my parents' lives and all those childhood memories all by myself. I remember being glad that I was pregnant, because it meant that Caleb would never have to be alone like I was. Like you were."

"You had Andrew," Eric replied gently. "And now I have Tris, and the rest of your family."

Natalie smiled. "And she'll have you and Ava when we're in DC. That's a huge relief to Andrew and I. When Andrew decided to run for Senate, leaving Tris behind was our biggest concern. We have friends who would help her, sure, but now that she has you, it just feels more secure."

"Thank you," Eric said, running his hand down Tris' long, blonde hair. "It will be my honor to look out for Tris. I know we're young, especially Tris, but I love her. I'd like to take care of her for the rest of our lives."

Natalie smiled broadly and blinked back tears. "You're a good man, Eric." With that Natalie stood up and patted Eric on the shoulder, then began gathering the dessert plates.

Eric turned his attention to the football game on television. Andrew dozed on the couch, and Caleb watched from the loveseat. Tris was out cold in Eric's arms.

When Ava began chattering in the baby monitor, Eric asked Caleb to get her so Tris could continue sleeping. It was a good idea, but as soon as Caleb brought the happy baby into the family room, quiet time was over, and Tris and Andrew woke up.

Ava toddled from person to person, carrying her baby doll and jabbering nonsense.

Natalie came back, and Ava chanted, "Nama, Nama," while toddling to Natalie and holding up her baby.

.

Eric was surprised when Tris asked to come home with him that night. He figured that she would want to stay with her family since Caleb was home, but he was never going to object if she wanted to spend time with him and sleep in his arms.

They put Ava to bed, and Eric tried to lead Tris back downstairs, but she wanted to go to his bedroom instead - another thing he would never object to.

Eric and Tris climbed onto his big king-sized bed, and Tris scooted close, curling up against Eric's side. He responded by wrapping his arms around her and stroking her back.

"Is everything okay, Duchess?" Eric asked, hoping Tris would finally open up and admit how she'd been feeling.

"I'm fine," she said dismissively.

"I don't think you are," he replied gently. "I think you're strong, but you're upset and trying to hide it. I think you should talk to me, let it out."

Tris sighed. "I'm being ridiculous," she said, still trying to brush him off.

"You feel how you feel," Eric insisted, "and that's completely valid. And I care how you feel. Talk to me, Baby."

Tris chuckled. "Every time someone says the word baby, I brace myself for Ava's squeal and scramble to remember where I last saw her baby doll."

"She really is attached to that thing," Eric said affectionately. "I have to tell you that it warms my heart to see her little toddler maternal instinct. She learned that from you, Tris. You were there from day one showing her that she was loved fully and unconditionally - showing her what a mother's love looks and feels like."

"I learned from the best," Tris said softly.

With that statement, the proverbial dam burst, and Eric felt Tris' tears wetting his shirt as she began to tremble. He rolled onto his side so he could face Tris and envelope her in a fiercely protective hug.

"It's okay, Duchess," Eric soothed. "Cry it out. I know all this change is hard. I've been through it too."

"I'm… so… sorry!" Tris sobbed into Eric's chest. "I'm being a baby about this. Dad's election is a good thing. I have so much to be thankful for! I have you and Ava, and everyone is healthy and happy. I know I shouldn't feel this way, but they're just… They're all leaving me!"

"Why wouldn't you be allowed to be upset?" Eric asked. "Change is hard. Even if it's not a total disaster. Even though there are things to be thankful for. And it's okay to be upset about change."

"It's just…" Tris stammered. "Well… I just feel… like… like it's wrong to be upset when it could be so much worse. I keep thinking about you losing your parents. You were truly alone, and you had to deal with everything alone while facing the fact that you would never see them again. I just… I don't have the right to be so worked up about a simple move. They're not even selling the house! They'll be home a lot. I'm not really losing them."

"Duchess, you have every right to be sad," Eric replied. "No matter what the circumstances, it's hard to see your childhood home packed up. You don't have to hit a certain threshold to be allowed to be upset. I'm not offended that you're sad. I'm not comparing our situations. I just want you to be honest with me about your feelings so I can support you."

Tris nodded against Eric's chest. They sat quietly, just holding one another.

"The house is going to be weirdly quiet without them," Tris finally confessed.

"I know," Eric agreed quietly. He wanted to fix the situation - to present Tris with a list of things she could do to make it easier, including just moving in with him and Ava. But Eric knew that what Tris really needed wasn't solutions; she needed a chance to vent her feelings without criticism. So he bit his tongue and let her talk.

Eric and Tris talked about their families and shared childhood memories late into the night. Tris fell asleep in Eric's protective embrace and slept well knowing she wasn't alone.


	34. Chapter 34

**Trigger warning: Home invasion**

**.**

After Thanksgiving, Eric and the Priors went back to their routines. Caleb flew back to Baltimore that Sunday, and he, Tris, and Eric all went back to school on Monday. Natalie and Andrew kept working on preparations for the holidays and for their move.

Tris felt better after opening up to Eric about her feelings. She decided to look at her parents' early December trip to Washington DC as a practice run. She could experience a taste of what her life would be like when she lived alone, and figure out what she needed to feel comfortable and confident.

The Priors left on a Thursday. Eric had school on Friday, and Tris was planning to spend the morning Christmas shopping while Ava was at daycare.

Tris went home after Ava was in bed. She parked her car in the garage and shut the garage door, then walked through the house assuring herself that it was locked up tight before she set the alarm and went to her bedroom.

She had a paper due on Monday, so Tris sat down with her laptop and worked on it. Once she was satisfied with her progress and at a good stopping point, she grabbed her phone and a book and crawled into bed.

She was not at all surprised to see multiple text messages from Eric and her parents.

**Natalie: Arrived safely in DC. How are things at home?**

.

**Eric: Are you sure I can't talk you into staying over tonight?**

.

Tris replied to her mom, letting her know that everything was fine at home, then she replied to Eric.

**T: I'm fine, Warrior. Just doing homework.**

**E: What are you wearing, my little co-ed?**

**T: Pajamas (eyeroll emoji)**

**E: (sad face emoji)**

**T: Oh stop. You have grading to do.**

**E: I'd rather play with you.**

**T: Do I need to shut off my phone?**

**E: No! I'll behave! What are you working on?**

Tris told him about her paper, then about the book she was reading for school. He told her about the freshmen quizzes he was grading, and some of the stupid things students wrote on their quizzes. They flirted for a while then said goodnight.

.

Ding, ding. Beep, beep, beep. Ding, ding.

A strange, annoying noise from her phone woke Tris. As she unlocked the screen, she caught a glimpse of the clock. It was just after one o'clock in the morning, and the strange noise was from HomSys, the home alarm company the Priors used.

**HomSys: Possible intruder alert. Broken window on rear patio door. Emergency services notified. Click override, away from home, or confirm.**

Tris listened intently. She heard voices and shoes crunching on broken glass, and pushed the confirm button with a shaking hand.

**HomSys: EMS notified. Get to a secure location. Dispatch will be calling.**

Tris sucked in a deep breath. Her heart raced and adrenaline surged through her body as she looked around her room. _Under the bed?_ she thought. _No, I can't fight back from there. The closet?_ Hearing the intruders' voices, Tris slid out of bed and into her closet, pushing the bifold doors closed. She squatted in the back corner of her closet, ready to spring out and fight for her life if discovered.

Her phone lit up in her hand. The caller ID said it was HomSys Dispatch, so she answered.

"Hello?" Tris whispered.

"Miss Prior, this is Jenna from HomSys Security. Are you safe?"

"I'm in my bedroom closet," Tris whispered into her phone.

"Okay," the dispatcher said. "Only respond to me if it's safe for you to do so. Do you hear the intruders in the house?"

"Yes," Tris whispered. "They're getting closer. I hear them coming up the stairs."

"Police are two minutes away," Jenna said quickly and quietly. "I'll quietly stay on the line with you."

Tris was thankful to have someone on the phone as she listened to the intruders. "You're sure no one is home?" one asked. The young male voice was somewhat familiar, but Tris couldn't place it.

"Shut up," growled another familiar male voice. "They're in DC. I saw it on the news. Something about a meeting for the new Congressmen or whatever."

_Peter?_ Tris thought, placing the second voice.

"But what about Tris?" asked the other intruder. "And her brother?"

_And Drew!_ Tris realized. _Peter and Drew!_

"Her brother is in college out east somewhere," Peter snarled, "and Tris is at her boyfriend's place."

"Or screwing one of her college professors," Drew laughed.

The two young men opened the door to Caleb's room, which was first at the top on the stairs.

"The brother," Peter said. "Nothing in there."

They slammed Caleb's door and opened Tris'. She held her breath, and her skin crawled as the two walked into her bedroom. She felt violated by their very presence.

"Looks like we found Tris' room," Drew laughed. "You think she has anything worth taking in here?"

"No TV," Peter said, "I don't see her phone, and she doesn't wear jewelry. There's a laptop on the desk over there; grab that." Tris could hear Peter's voice moving around her bedroom as he looked for valuables.

Tris was surprised to hear a zipper. "What are you doing?" She heard Drew ask the very thing she was wondering.

"I'm going to take a piss on the stiff's bed," Peter laughed.

"Dude!" Drew snapped. "That's evidence! I'm not wearing these stupid gloves so you can spray DNA all over her pillow!"

"Shut up," Peter growled. "It's not blood or semen. Piss is just water. Go check on the next room. The good stuff should be in the parents' room."

Drew left, and Tris felt tears pouring down her face as she listened to the sickening sound of Peter urinating on her bed.

"The next one is a baby's room," Drew called from the guest room.

"Found it!" he called, and Tris heard Peter hurry out of her defiled bedroom.

"Can you call someone for me?" Tris whispered to the dispatcher. She gave Jenna Eric's name and phone number.

"The police are on site," the security employee said. "They're entering the house through the broken back door. Please stay hidden until the intruders are arrested. The police know where you are."

Heavy boots sounded on the stairs, and panicked exclamations came from the master bedroom.

"I know the intruders," Tris told the dispatcher. "I recognized their voices. Their names are Peter Hayes and Drew Millan. I went to high school with them."

"Make sure you tell the officers," Jenna said. "I made note of it, too, but they'll have to interview you when they come get you. By the way, we got ahold of Mr. Coulter, and he's on his way."

"Thank you," Tris said, "and thank you for staying on the line with me. It really helped me not feel so alone."

"You're very welcome," Jenna said. "Your parents were also notified of the break in, and the police will be calling them as well."

"Miss Prior?" a deep male voice called gently from the doorway of Tris' room. "Miss Prior, I'm Officer Brian Knight from the police department. The intruders have been apprehended, and it's safe for you to come out now."

The dispatcher heard him, and said goodbye to Tris. She hung up the phone as she pushed open her closet door.

"Miss Prior?" Officer Knight said, offering Tris a hand as she climbed out of the closet. "I'm Officer Brian Knight."

"I'm Tris," she replied shakily.

"Do you need to sit down?" the officer asked, pointing at Tris' bed.

"No!" she exclaimed in a panic.

Tris pulled out her desk chair and weakly dropped into it. She began talking to the police officer, telling him about Peter urinating on her bed. Officer Knight suggested they move down to the living room for her interview.

"Are they down there?" Tris asked nervously.

"No," the officer assured her. "They were taken to the police station by now."

Tris nodded, and dug in her drawers for a warm hoodie and some socks. The house was cooling rapidly with the glass shattered on the patio door and the December cold rushing into the house.

Officer Knight gently led Tris downstairs. He was nearly as big as Eric, and that made Tris feel safe.

She suggested that it would be warmer in the dining room, and the officer agreed. Other officers were milling around downstairs, taking photos and collecting evidence. A female officer who introduced herself as Elizabeth asked Tris if she would like her to make coffee or something. Tris agreed, and the two women and Officer Knight moved to the kitchen.

Tris told the officers everything she could about the break-in. They were impressed with her strength and clear-headedness, but noticed the way her shaking hands clutched her coffee cup as if holding on for dear life.

She was answering a follow-up question from Officer Knight when there was a commotion in the foyer. "Tris?!" a panicked but familiar voice shouted into the house.

"Eric!" Tris yelled as she leapt from her chair and ran to the foyer and straight into Eric's arms. As he clutched her desperately to his chest, Tris finally broke down and began to sob.

Eric pressed her close, peppering kisses on the top of her head as he rocked them gently back and forth. His phone rang, and he pulled it out of his pocket without letting go of Tris.

"Andrew," he said into the phone. "I just got here."

"Is Beatrice okay? Is that her crying?" Andrew asked, panicked at the sound of his daughter's sobs.

"I think she's unharmed," Eric assured Andrew, "just scared. I've literally been here for two minutes; we're still in the foyer. As soon as I got her in my arms she started to cry. We haven't talked at all."

"Okay," Andrew said. "I'll let you go. But call us as soon as possible. I doubt Natalie or I will get any sleep until we've spoken to her."

"I understand," Eric replied. "I'll have her call as soon as she calms down and the police are done talking to her."

"Thank you, Eric" Andrew said warmly.

Eric hung up his phone and comforted Tris. Officer Elizabeth watched the exchange from the kitchen doorway. When Tris quieted, she introduced herself. "You must be Mr. Coulter," the woman said. "I'm Officer Elizabeth Brooks from the police department."

"Call me Eric," he said, extending his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Eric," she said. "My partner and I were interviewing Tris in the kitchen when you arrived. We have coffee, too."

Eric took the hint and guided Tris back to the kitchen. "Brian?" Eric asked as he walked in and recognized the other officer.

"Eric!" the other man said in greeting. He stood, and the two men exchanged a handshake while thumping each other on the back.

"It's good to see you," Eric said sincerely. "I see you followed through and became a police officer."

"I did," Brian confirmed as he sat back down. "Are you still in school?"

"In a way," Eric said with a dry laugh. "I'm teaching. Back in the Dauntless program at Factions. Coaching the hockey team, too."

"Now that takes me back! I thought you'd end up in the NHL or something," Brian said.

"Brian is a Dauntless alum, too," Eric explained to Tris. "He was a year ahead of me. We played hockey together."

"Eric was an amazing power forward," Brian said. "He was an absolute bulldog. Never wanted to leave the ice. Always went hard after the puck. We all had to work harder just to keep up with him."

"I played in college, too," Eric said. "But I was getting burned out juggling sports, school, and life. My parents died a couple years ago, and I walked away from sports and graduated early. It's a long story, but my life is exactly where it should be now, and I'm happy."

"We should get together some time," Brian suggested, "without anyone needing the police. For now I need to finish my interview with Miss Prior. Tris, do you want Eric to stay while we finish this?"

"Yes. Please," Tris said, clinging to Eric's hand.

The police officer started to speak again, but Tris interrupted with a gasp.

"Where's Ava?" she asked, her eyes wide.

Eric chuckled as he gave Tris a squeeze. "I called Tori," he explained. "She rushed over to my place so I could be here. We'll go home to her when we're done."

"Who's Ava?" Brian asked curiously.

"Our daughter," Tris answered automatically.

Eric's heart did a little flip, and he couldn't help smiling at her response, _our_ daughter.

"Oh, wow," Brian said, "how old is she?"

"Eleven months," Tris answered.

Brian's eyebrows shot up, and he flipped back through his notes.

Eric chuckled. "Yes," he said to his old friend, "you're remembering correctly. Tris is only eighteen. Ava is actually my daughter. Tris and I have been friends since before Ava was born, and we've been dating for six months now. She's the only mother Ava has known, and we're raising her together."

"Oh good, I don't have to arrest you," Brian teased, and he and Eric laughed.

Tris scowled, and Eric caught it. "He's just teasing," he assured her.

Tris finished the interview with the officers. With every new detail he heard, Eric's frown deepened. He went from sitting at the table holding hands to pushing their chairs closer together, then to putting his arm around Tris. When she talked about Peter urinating on her bed, Eric could resist no longer and lifted Tris onto his lap.

Tris leaned heavily into Eric's chest. She sighed as she felt truly safe for the first time since her phone woke her up. Brian asked his last questions, and Tris answered.

"I'd ask if you have somewhere to go or someone to stay with you tonight, but I already have that answer," Brian said with a smile.

Tris blushed and burrowed into Eric's arms. Eric gave her a squeeze and kissed the top of her head.

Eric asked Brian and the other officers a few questions about securing the house for the night while Tris went upstairs to pack a bag and call her parents.

"Beatrice! Sweet Pea, are you okay?" Andrew asked as he answered his phone.

"I'm okay, Daddy," Tris tried to assure him, though he could hear stress, exhaustion, and a hint of fear in her voice.

Tris put her phone on speaker and told her parents about the break-in while she absent-mindedly threw things in a suitcase. Andrew put his phone on speaker, too, so he and Natalie could both talk to their daughter. It was a relief for them to hear her voice, even if they hated what she had to tell them.

"So nothing was stolen," Tris concluded. "The alarm system did what it should. The only damage is broken glass on the patio door and dirty floors. Oh, and my bed."

"What happened to your bed?!" the Priors asked in unison.

"Peter thought he would be an ass, and he peed all over it," Tris explained. "I… I could hear it from the closet. Drew told him not to, but he… he just unzipped his pants and pissed all over my bed. We can wash the blankets, but the pillow was taken as evidence, and I don't want it back. I can't… I can't sleep here again knowing that my mattress… I just… I can't. "

"I'd like to get my hands on that little asshole…" Natalie snarled through the phone.

"Get in line," Eric said from the doorway. "He's lucky to be in jail right now." He walked over to Tris and looked at what she was doing. "Um, Duchess, what are you putting in your suitcase?"

Tris looked down and realized that every pair of socks and underwear she owned, every bra, and her few jewelry items were in the suitcase, but nothing else.

"Why don't you add some clean pajamas and clothes for the weekend," he suggested gently.

Tris started to remove things from the suitcase. "Just leave that," Eric said. "I'd like to talk to all three of you," he continued. "I know this isn't a very romantic way to go about this, but I'd like Tris to move in with me and Ava."

Tris stopped dead in her tracks, and the pile of t-shirts she was digging through fell unceremoniously into the suitcase.

"Don't…" Tris stammered, "Don't make rash decisions out of fear."

"I'm not," Eric said, reaching for her hand. "You know I'm not. I've told you before that I want you to live with us. You make my house feel like home. You make us feel like a family. The only reason I haven't asked for this sooner is because you're young, and I didn't want to push you."

"But my parents need me to…"

"Tris," Natalie interrupted. "Don't worry about us or the house. We're moving a lot of stuff out in a couple weeks. We'll have the mail forwarded, and hire a service to take care of the grass and snow. We all saw that the security monitoring works, and I think after tonight we'll be adding some motion-detecting lights and probably a few cameras or something as well. The house will be fine. You need to think about what you want for yourself. Do you want to live with Eric and Ava?"

"Living together…" Tris said, obviously still dazed.

Eric caught on to how overwhelmed Tris was. "Maybe this isn't the best time to talk about this," he said. "Tonight has been a lot to handle as it is. Tris, I'd like to take you home with me for the weekend. Is that okay? We can make other decisions later."

Tris nodded. As they said goodbye to Natalie and Andrew, Eric looked at the mess of belongings in Tris' suitcase. He instructed her to get her phone charger, birth control pills, and hairbrush while he added pajamas and pants to the suitcase.

Eric gathered Tris' textbooks and anything that looked like homework, and put them in her backpack with the laptop that Peter and Drew had failed to steal. "Do you need anything else?" he asked. "Anything from the bathroom or the closet?"

Tris opened her closet door and froze. "That's where I hid," she mumbled, staring at the back corner.

Eric stepped behind Tris and wrapped his arms around her. "You handled that perfectly," he soothed. "You did exactly what you were supposed to. You were so strong, Babe, and you did everything right. You're safe now."

Tris nodded. "I'm tired," she admitted.

"I know," he said. "Let's get you home to bed. Do you need anything else?"

"Just let me grab my pil… oh," she trailed off with a shudder. "No," she said sadly. I have everything I need. Let's just go."

Tris and Eric walked through the house together. She held tightly to his hand as they shut off lights, inspected the patch job on the broken patio door, locked up again, and reset the alarm system. Eric loaded Tris' suitcase and backpack into his truck, and helped her in.

She reached for Eric's hand as soon as he was in the truck, and he was more than happy to feel Tris' small hand in his large one. At the first stop sign, Eric glanced at Tris, hoping to get a glimpse of how she was feeling. She was sound asleep, and Eric smiled in relief.


	35. Chapter 35

Tris slept the entire ride from her parents' house to Eric's. She slept through Eric parking his truck in the garage and taking her suitcase into the house. She slept through Eric carrying her inside and up to his bed. She stayed asleep as Eric removed her shoes and he and Tori talked quietly about Tris' ordeal. She slept through Tori leaving and Eric locking up his house. She was still asleep when he joined her in his big bed and wrapped his arms around her.

"I almost lost you," Eric whispered as a tear trickled down his cheek and onto his pillow. "Again. I just want you here with me. All the time. I want this to be your home. I want you on all my accounts, and the deed to our house. I want you to share my last name and adopt our daughter. I want to have more kids with you. You're the mother I would choose to have kids with. I want to grow old with you, and travel with you. I want the big things and the everyday, and I want it all with you."

Eric poured out his heart to his sleeping girlfriend. When he ran out of words to say, Tris snuggled closer to his chest and made a contented noise that spoke as eloquently as a declaration to Eric's heart. In spite of what she'd been through, she felt safe with him, and that made him feel ten feet tall and invincible.

.

Eric and Tris only had a couple hours to sleep, but they slept like the dead. Right on schedule, Ava began calling for her daddy. She was a good sleeper thanks to the schedule Tris and Natalie had instituted, enforced, and taught to Eric. Ava was also a happy, sunny baby, and that combined with her sleep schedule to create good mornings in the Coulter home.

On that particular morning, Eric and Tris were dead asleep and still clutching one another tightly when Ava called out.

"Dada," the toddler called happily.

In spite of the short and stressful night, Eric woke with a smile. He loved hearing his daughter call for him. It reminded him every morning that no matter what Melinda had put him through, she had spared his child, and he counted himself lucky to have the chance to raise his little girl.

Eric yawned and stretched. He was reluctant to leave his warm bed and sleeping girlfriend, but Ava called him again. "Dada," the little one yelled, louder this time.

Suddenly Tris sat bolt upright in bed. "Ava!?" she exclaimed.

Eric put a hand on Tris' back. "It's okay," he said. "She's just waking up."

Tris looked around the room, then groaned as she remembered the night before. She let herself flop back onto her back. Eric turned to face her and scooped her into his arms.

"Are you alright?" he asked as Ava called for him again.

"I'm fine," Tris insisted, kissing him on the cheek. "Go get your daughter."

Eric pulled back a bit and looked at Tris, searching for any hint that she was struggling. She smiled, and he was satisfied when he saw calm and resolve reflected in her eyes. He gave her a brief kiss, then rolled out of bed and headed toward the nursery.

Tris got up as well, put on the sweatshirt she had worn the night before, and followed Eric to the nursery. As usual, Ava's enthusiastic reaction to her being there in the morning made Tris smile.

"Mama!" the baby squealed at top volume. "Mama, Mama, Mama!"

The baby bounced up and down in her crib, waving her arms. She couldn't maintain her balance on the unstable surface of the mattress and quickly plopped onto her diaper-clad bottom.

"Dada, Dada," she called to Eric, "Mama!"

"I know, Baby Girl," Eric said. "Mama's here. Yay!"

"Ay!" Ava yelled, clapping her hands.

Tris laughed and scooped the baby out of the crib. "Mama!" Ava said again, triumphantly.

"Just think," Eric said, putting an arm around Tris, "every morning could be like this."

Tris laughed. "I'm pretty sure the novelty of my presence would wear off. Are you sure you want me living here?"

"With all my heart," Eric assured her as Tris carried Ava to the changing pad and Eric gathered some clean clothes for his daughter to wear. "I've wanted to ask you to live with us for a while. Actually, I wanted you to move in when Ava did, but I couldn't figure out how to sell that to your parents. Or Max. Shoot!" Eric interrupted himself, careful not to swear in front of his daughter. "I forgot to call the school!"

"Why?" Tris asked.

"I thought I'd take today off," Eric explained, "so I can stay here with you."

"You're so sweet," Tris said, leaning over to kiss Eric on the cheek while she finished changing Ava's diaper. "But I'm fine. You can go to work today. I thought I'd call Melanie, though, and keep Ava with me for the day. We can go to the mall like I planned, then we'll come back here and I'll work on homework while she naps."

"You don't have your car," Eric reminded her. "But you can keep the truck if you drop me off."

"When are you done today?" Tris asked.

"Hockey practice ends by five or five-thirty," Eric said. "I'm sure someone can give me a ride, or I can call if I need you to pick me up."

"How will you get from school to the rink?" Tris asked.

"Ride with someone or take the bus with the underclassmen," Eric said.

Tris laughed out loud, and Ava joined her. "You'll be like the principal in the last scene of _Ferris Bueller's Day Off_!" Tris said, laughing so hard she could barely get out the words. "Do you remember that? When the principal's car gets towed so he gets on the school bus, and that nerd girl offers him some candy from her pocket? Do you even fit in school bus seats?"

Eric smiled at Tris' laughter and Ava's fake laughter as she tried to be part of the conversation in her baby-toddler way. He had been so afraid that the break-in would weaken Tris. He was worried that her confidence would be shaken like it was after the shooting, but she seemed as strong as ever.

"Mama's silly," Eric said, looking over Tris' shoulder at the baby on the changing pad.

He playfully kissed and nibbled at Tris' cheeks, neck, and shoulder while growling like a puppy. Ava squealed and clapped her hands. Tris gave up trying to dress the wiggly baby while father and daughter played.

They eventually got everyone fed and dressed, and made it out the door to get Eric to work on time. When she drove his big truck up to the doors of Factions High School, Eric unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned over to give Tris a kiss.

"I'm so proud of you," he said. "You are strong and amazing. But don't hesitate to call if you need me today. It's okay to be upset. Remember what I said after the shooting. Lean into me if you need to. I'm more than happy to help."

Tris kissed Eric again. "This isn't like the shooting," she said. "After that I felt like I was fighting with my own mind. I couldn't be strong. This is different. I can do this."

"Yes you can," Eric confirmed.

"Now stop worrying and get out of my truck," Tris teased. "Ava and I have shopping to do!"

Eric grinned as he pulled out his wallet and withdrew a fifty dollar bill. He put it in the cup holder between them, and Tris scowled at him.

"Feed my daughter, please," he said nonchalantly. "And if you need gas or see something we need for the house. Or buy yourself lunch. You know, whatever."

Tris rolled her eyes. "I'm not taking your money," she said.

Eric opened the passenger door and jumped out of the truck. "Well," he said, "don't leave it in the vehicle. I'd hate to have someone break into my truck because you left cash laying around. Love you!"

Before she could object again, he shut the passenger door and walked away. Eric walked to the sidewalk before he turned and grinned at Tris. She stuck her tongue out in response, and he blew her a kiss.

.

Natalie called when Tris and Ava were at the mall. She informed Tris that she had changed her flight and was coming home. Tris tried to reassure her mom that she was fine and that Eric and the officers had secured the house and contacted the Priors' insurance company, but Natalie insisted. She gave Tris her flight information and asked if her daughter could meet her at the airport.

Of course Tris agreed. She spent the rest of the morning at the mall, working on her Christmas shopping. She and Ava had lunch, then Tris changed the baby and got her settled in her car seat so she could nap while they drove to the airport.

Eric called Tris several times that day - on his lunch break, during his prep period, and between school and hockey practice. She was driving home from the airport with Natalie when the last call came.

"Hello Eric," Tris said as she answered her phone with the truck's hands-free setup.

"Hey Duchess, how are you?" Eric asked.

"I told you; I'm fine," Tris insisted. "Ava and I just picked up my mom from the airport, and we're driving back to her place right now."

"Hi Eric!" Natalie interjected.

"Hey Natalie," Eric said, obvious relief in his voice. "I didn't know you were coming home early."

"After the break-in I was useless out in DC," she explained. "Andrew is finishing things up, but I wanted to be home."

"I spoke with your insurance guy on my lunch break," Eric said.

Eric and Natalie carried on their conversation about the break-in, going over issues relating to the police report, insurance, and repairs to the damage at the house. Tris concentrated on the road.

"Natalie, will you come stay with us tonight?" Eric asked warmly.

"What?" Natalie asked in surprise. "Oh, no, Eric. That's very sweet, but I'll be fine in my own home. The kids who broke in are in jail, and things are secured."

"Eric's right, Mom," Tris added. "The patio door is boarded up and my mattress and bedding have been removed. The broken glass is cleaned up, too. But I would worry all night if you were there alone. Besides, I'm sure Peter's parents have bailed him out by now, and Drew's probably have, too."

"They have," Eric confirmed. "I got a text from Brian this afternoon."

"If you won't stay with us, we'll come stay with you," Tris said stubbornly.

"Are you sure you're okay with that?" Natalie asked. "I thought after last night you might not be able to sleep in the house for a while."

"I'll be fine with you, Eric, and Ava there," Tris insisted. "I guess we might have to, um, sleep in the guest room though," she said, her brave voice faltering as she remembered Peter defiling her bed.

Natalie put a comforting hand on the arm Tris was resting on the center console. "That was a sick thing Peter did," she said to her daughter. "I think the best option would be to redecorate your room and start fresh. Maybe you should get a bigger bed in there so you and Eric aren't squished if you're both there."

Tris nodded and took a deep, shaky breath, trying to find her strength again.

"Tris," Eric's voice came gently over the hands-free. "Are you okay?"

"I am," she assured him. "Just creeped out for a minute."

"Listen, I have to get to hockey practice," Eric said. "Are you sure you're okay? I could have one of the other coaches run practice. We don't start games until after Christmas, so it will be okay if I'm not there."

"Warrior," Tris said firmly. "I promise I'm alright. Ava and I are going home with Mom, and I'll come get you after practice. Make those boys work hard, okay? No slacking off because Coach is distracted. We have a tradition to uphold, and I want to go to winning hockey games this year."

"Yes Ma'am," Eric said, and Tris and Natalie could hear a genuine smile in his voice.

"I wondered if you had a nickname for him," Natalie teased when they had hung up the phone.

Tris blushed. "He's had a nickname longer than I have," she confessed. "It just came out organically. We were just friends then, and I was trying to make him feel strong and remind him that his Dauntless family would always be behind him, and it just, kind of, came out."

"It's a powerful reminder," Natalie said. "You love him well."

"I hope so," Tris replied.

"Have you thought about moving in with him?" Natalie asked.

"I want to," Tris said. Her words were positive, but her tone was reluctant.

"But?" Natalie asked.

Tris huffed as she pulled the big truck into the Priors' driveway. "Everything in our relationship is a reaction to some crisis. We keep falling into relationship milestones. For all I know, Eric doesn't want any of this and we keep progressing in our relationship because he's too nice to say no."

Natalie chuckled as she climbed out of the truck. "You're exaggerating," she chided her daughter.

"I know," Tris said as she worked the car seat harness off Ava.

The baby's eyes fluttered open and she smiled at Tris. "Mama," she said.

"Hey Sunshine," Tris said gently. "You took a good nap. Look who's here!"

She lifted the little one from her seat and turned her so she could see Natalie. "Nama!" Ava cheered, a grin splitting her chubby face.

The women made their way into the house, arms full of purses, suitcases, shopping bags, and a wiggly little girl with a wet diaper. Tris took Ava up to the guest room/nursery for a fresh diaper while Natalie examined the damage from the break-in.

Tris was putting Ava's clothes back in place when Natalie walked into the guest room. "You know," she said, deep in thought, "your room is bigger than this one. We should move the queen-sized bed in there and put a single in here with the crib. If you stay living here you'd have a big enough bed for Eric to stay, too, and if you move in with him, that just makes your room the guest room while this one becomes the grandkids' room."

Tris chuckled. "One grandkid, Mom. Just Ava."

"For now," Natalie said, smiling at the baby in her daughter's arms. "There will be more some day."

"I haven't been jogging lately," Tris said sarcastically, "but if you want more grandbabies I'll keep my eyes open."

Natalie swatted at Tris as the two women laughed.

.

Eric, Ava, and Tris all stayed at the house with Natalie until Andrew came home on Monday. The women helped Eric move the queen sized bed into Tris' room. Eric also installed motion-detecting lights for Natalie, and a doorbell camera at both the front and back doors. A contractor came out and replaced the broken patio door. By Monday it was like nothing had happened, and the house was safer than ever.

Tris' room was in limbo. They had moved the bigger bed in, but nothing was done to rearrange or redecorate. Natalie and Eric were both waiting for Tris to make a decision, or just say something about her future living arrangements. At the same time, Tris was waiting to see if Eric would bring it up again. He said he wanted her living with him and Ava, but she thought that was just his fear talking. She was afraid to bring it up again, because he might not really want her there all the time. Sure, he loved their sleepovers, and who wouldn't like a second parent on hand, especially now that Ava was getting around and getting into everything. But when Eric said, "You make my house feel like home," Tris' insecurities told her that what he really meant was "It's easier to raise a toddler with two parents." When he said "I want you here," she heard "I feel better knowing you're safe." She was frustrated by how much of their relationship had been driven by circumstances and fear, and she just couldn't believe Eric's sincerity.

.

Eric woke up Monday morning with Tris in his arms. They were in the queen sized bed in her chaotic mess of a bedroom. Ava was either still asleep in the guest room/nursery, or Natalie had gotten her up already - either way the little one wasn't making any noise yet. Eric glanced at the clock and saw that it was time for him to get up.

"Duchess," he called sweetly, trying to wake Tris.

Tris grumbled and burrowed into Eric embrace.

"Baby, I have to get up," he tried again.

"Morning," Tris grumbled.

"We need to get up for school," Eric said, nuzzling into Tris' neck and shoulder. "But before we do, I have to ask you something."

"Hmm?" Tris questioned sleepily as she turned in Eric's arms to face him.

"Tris," Eric said, intensity ringing in his voice and eyes blazing, "I love you so much. You make my life better and I want to spend the rest of my days with you. Will you move in with me and Ava? Please?"

Tris sighed contentedly and kissed Eric's stubbly jawline. "Do you really mean that?" she asked. "You're not just worried about me living alone or something?"

"You can handle anything," Eric said. "I'm not worried about you being alone. I just like it better when you're with me, and I want my house to be our home. What do you say? Will you move the rest of your stuff to my place? We already do so much together. I just want the back and forth to end. I want to know you'll be sleeping beside me every night. I want you to be there with me and Ava every morning. Will you, Duchess?"

Tris threw her arms around Eric's neck and pulled his bare chest tightly against her pajama-clad body. She kissed him firmly on the lips. "I was hoping you would eventually ask," she said.

Eric was dumbfounded. "What are you talking about? We've talked about it many times! I've always told you I want you to move in! What do you mean you were waiting for me to ask?"

Tris giggled nervously as she kissed Eric on the cheek. "You've mentioned it," she said. "But you've only said it when we were in a panic over something bad happening, or when you seemed desperate for help with Ava. I didn't know if you really meant it, and I wasn't going to invite myself."

Eric shook his head. "I hate that you still doubt me," he said. "I'm crazy about you, Tris. It's not a trick or a joke, and I'm not using you for sex or babysitting. I love you," he kissed her forehead. "I want you," he kissed her cheek. "I need you," he kissed her other cheek. "Because you are awesome, and beautiful, and sweet, and you make my life better every day just by being there. I have never felt pushed into anything with you. Everything inside of me wants everything with you. I hold back because there's an expected timeline - especially when your girlfriend is only eighteen. I quit holding back every time something happens that reminds me of how precious, short, and uncertain life is. I just wish you could feel how much I truly love you," he said intensely.

"Oh, I can feel it," Tris said, lightening the intense mood with a teasing voice as she rubbed her thigh against Eric's morning wood.

Eric smiled. "Tonight in _our_ bed I'll make sure you feel it," he teased. "Come back here after class. Ava can nap while you pack up, and after hockey practice we'll put all your stuff in my truck and I can take you home for good."

Tris smiled up at Eric and kissed his cheek again. "Home," she said. "I like the way that sounds."


	36. Chapter 36

It took only one trip with Eric's truck to move all of Tris' belongings to his townhouse. The furniture in her bedroom was staying with her parents, so she had only clothes, books, and other mementos and personal items to take She and Natalie had it all sorted and packed in one afternoon.

Eric and Ava had dinner with the Priors, and Eric and Andrew put Tris' things in Eric's truck while the women washed the dishes and did a walk-through looking for anything Tris might have missed. Natalie kept asking her daughter if she wanted to take different items, like her favorite coffee mug or her bicycle, and Tris kept reminding her mom that she was moving across town, not across the country. Anything seasonal that was in storage or anything forgotten could easily be picked up later.

Eric was grinning broadly when he came back into the house. He took Ava and the diaper bag from Tris and kissed her on the forehead. "I'll see you at home," he said, and everyone could hear the pride and joy in his voice.

"I'll be right behind you," Tris said, rolling her eyes at his exuberance.

When Eric left, Andrew enveloped his daughter in a big hug. "Sweetpea, I never thought I would be happy with my daughter moving in with a man. Especially as young as you are. But, I don't know, I just have peace about this. You, Eric, and Ava are a family, and you should be together. And as much as I know you can take care of yourself, the dad in me likes that you have each other."

"Thanks Dad," Tris said, returning the hug.

She pulled back from her dad and stood there for a minute, just looking around at the familiar home. "I've lived here for as long as I can remember," she said. "I always thought moving out would be a big deal. But this hasn't really felt like home since Ava went to live with Eric. This is the only place I've ever called home, yet I've been homesick for months. I belong with my daughter and the man I love."

Natalie, who had been standing in the doorway to the kitchen, stepped forward and hugged Tris. "I love hearing you call Ava your daughter. It's a special bond, mother and daughter."

Tris nodded as she squeezed her mom tightly. She felt tears burning in her eyes but refused to cry.

"When Ava came to stay with us, we knew she wouldn't be staying forever," Natalie said with an amused smile as she pulled back from Tris. "I just had no idea that she'd take you with her when she left."

Tris, Andrew, and Natalie chuckled, and Tris hugged each of her parents one last time before she grabbed her backpack and purse and headed for her car.

Eric and Ava were waiting in the open garage when Tris arrived. Though it was nearing her bedtime, Ava was awake and happy, jabbering away and holding her stuffed doll, which they referred to as Bebe for the way Ava pronounced the word baby. As soon as Tris climbed out of her car, Eric took her backpack and set it down on the garage floor next to her other belongings. He put Ava in Tris' arms, then squatted slightly and scooped up Tris bridal-style so he could carry her across the threshold and into their home.

Tris laughed. "You hold me, I hold Ava, and Ava holds Bebe. We're like nesting dolls.!"

"Good thing I'm so strong," Eric teased, laughing along with Tris.

"Are you calling me fat?" Tris asked mockingly.

"Never," Eric said. "You weigh pretty much nothing, Duchess. Ava might be getting chunky, but you and Bebe are light as a feather."

"Good recovery," Tris teased. "Blame the baby."

"Bebe!" Ava squawked, and they all laughed.

"Mommy's home!" Eric said to his daughter. "Yay!"

"Ay!" Ava cheered, clapping her hands.

Tris laughed as Eric set her down in the kitchen. She put the baby to bed while Eric carried her things into the house. He helped her unpack for a while, then they got distracted with what Eric called "christening their home."

.

Tris was done with finals and all unpacked well before Christmas. She turned her attention to planning Ava's first birthday party, which the family decided to hold on Christmas Eve. Tris thought it would be hard to get people together on a holiday, but she knew that her parents and Caleb would be there since their family planned to celebrate Christmas on the 25th. Aunt Kathy was coming in for the weekend, so she would join the Priors' at Eric and Tris' home. Tori, George, and Amar had no family but each other, so they had been invited as well. Eric had been surprised when Tori asked if she could bring a date, but he agreed. Caleb had asked Tris if he could bring Susan Black, and Tris had happily complied with that addition as well. Other friends were invited, but many of them had travel plans or family obligations.

Eric gave Tris free reign when it came to planning Ava's party. He put extra cash in the fox cookie jar and insisted that she should spare no expense for their daughter's big day. She decided on a sunshine theme since that was a nickname they often used for the happy golden-haired child. Christina and Marlene, who were unable to attend the whole party but promised to stop by before their family Christmas gatherings, excitedly jumped in to help with the planning.

They ordered a small two-tiered cake from Popovers, the bakery next to Flapjacks. The white cake had lemon filling in the bottom tier and raspberry filling in the top tier so guests could choose. The buttercream icing was applied in a ribbon style, dark yellow on the bottom that got lighter and lighter in color so that the top was pure white. Tris ordered a yellow sunshine on a stick that would go on the top of the cake.

The other decorations were yellow and white with rainbow accents, and everything was in the sunshine theme. Tris made rainbow fruit kabobs with dip, two slow cookers of pulled pork and shredded chicken for sandwiches, pasta salad, and potato salad. She also bought all the buns, chips, and condiments, as well as bottled water and lemonade.

On the morning of Christmas Eve, Tris started the food in the slow cookers and sent Eric to run errands. She needed him to go to Popovers to pick up the cake, and to the party store to pick up the mylar sunshine balloons she'd ordered. While he was gone, Christina and Marlene arrived at the townhouse. Tris and Eric had already cleaned, so the girls just had decorating to do before the party-goers arrived. They hung rainbow streamers from the highchair tray, and laid out a yellow tablecloth on the table. They shut the blinds over the patio door behind the table, and hung a 'happy birthday' banner in front of it. The soft white blinds, festive banner, and balloons that Eric was picking up made a perfect backdrop for the rainbow-festooned highchair.

Tris began to lay out food on the kitchen island. She prepared lemonade in a large server which she had borrowed from the Priors, and set out all the yellow and rainbow cups, plates, and silverware that she had purchased. The girls wrapped water bottles in yellow and white duct tape and put them on ice in a white party bucket that Tris had also borrowed from her parents.

Christina and Marlene took Ava upstairs to dress her in her birthday party outfit while Tris tended to last-minute details. The friends had insisted on buying Ava a special outfit as part of their birthday gift, and Tris couldn't wait to see it.

Eric came home with the cake and balloons. He also brought a bouquet of tulips in a rainbow worth of colors.

"Flowers?" Tris asked. "In December?"

"Those are for you," Eric said. "I saw them through the window of the flower shop and I couldn't resist. My baby's first birthday has made me sentimental."

"Eric," Tris said in a warning tone. "You spoil me. Flowers are expensive in the winter. You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to," he insisted, leaning in to give Tris a kiss.

One kiss became two, and soon Tris and Eric were wrapped up in one another.

"Ah-hem," a voice interrupted from the foyer.

Tris blushed as she turned in Eric's arms to see Christina and Marlene walking in with Ava. The birthday girl was decked out in a white long-sleeved onesie with a big yellow sunshine on it. On the bottom she wore a rainbow-colored tutu. The girls had painted the baby's fingernails bright pink, and the nails on her bare toes were painted in a rainbow of colors. Her fine blonde curls had been brushed, and she wore a hot pink headband with a bright yellow sunshine on it.

The highlight was Bebe, clutched in Ava's pudgy fist as usual. The fabric doll was wearing a matching rainbow tutu, which Christina had made from a hair elastic and some strips of colored fabric.

Ava squealed when she saw her parents, and squirmed to get down. Christina complied, making sure the little one was steady on her feet before she let go. Ava toddled to her father as Tris set the bouquet of tulips on the credenza in the living room.

"Look at you, Birthday Girl!" Eric enthused as he picked up his daughter. "You look so pretty!"

"Bebe!" Ava said, insisting that Eric should look at her baby doll.

"Yes," Eric replied. "Bebe has a pretty dress on too. Look at all the pretties that Mommy, Christina, and Marlene did." He turned in a circle, pointing at the various balloons and decorations around the house.

"Ooh," Ava exclaimed appreciatively. She pointed at her highchair and waved Bebe at her daddy. "Bebe! Bebe!" she said as she pointed to the chair.

"I know," Eric said. "Your highchair is pretty like you and Bebe."

The doorbell rang, and Tris hurried to answer it.

.

The house was soon filled with family and friends, and everyone was fawning over the birthday girl. "Nama," "Papa," and Aunt Kathy had been the first to arrive, followed by Uncle "Bub-bub" and Susan. Marlene and Christina left, but the doorbell rang again just a minute later. Tris opened the door to find Amar, George, Tori, and her date.

"Bud?" she said, seeing the photographer with Eric's coworkers and the tattoo shop owner.

"Merry Christmas," Bud said. "Or should I say 'happy birthday'?"

"It's good to see you!" Tris exclaimed. "Come on in! Tori, why didn't you tell us that you were bringing Bud?"

"Um, surprise?" Tori said nervously as they walked into the house.

Amar and George laughed. "She did a tattoo cover-up job for him and they've been hanging out ever since," George explained.

"She's helping him forget his ex in more ways than one," Amar said mischievously.

"That's my sister," George whined.

"And my teacher," Tris teased.

"Oh please," Amar fired back. "That didn't stop you from falling for Eric. Teachers need love, too."

"Yes we do," Eric said, joining the conversation. He shook hands with the new arrivals and welcomed them to Ava's party.

Since all the guests had arrived, Eric got everyone's attention.

"Thank you all for being here for Ava's first birthday," he said. "Tris and a couple of her friends have gone all out for this, so I know you're going to have a great time. We thought it would be best if we start by having Ava open her birthday gifts, then Tris has lunch ready. Feel free to help yourself to water or lemonade. The restroom is through that doorway," he pointed toward the mudroom where a small bathroom was tucked between the kitchen and the garage. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Everyone gathered around the open kitchen/dining/living room space, with Ava on her daddy's lap in the recliner. The happy birthday girl babbled on in her baby chatter way. She was comfortable and familiar with most of the party-goers, but a bit shy around Kathy, Susan, George, and Amar, as they were virtually strangers to the little one. Ava was surprisingly friendly and familiar with Bud, in spite of the fact that she only met him twice before. It was unusual for a toddler to gravitate toward a bearded stranger, but Ava just liked Bud, and always had.

Tori and Bud had worked together to create and paint a growth chart as their gift to Ava. It looked like an oversized ruler, and Tori had painted it to match the nursery. George and Amar gave the birthday girl a black toddler-sized hoodie with the Dauntless flame logo on the back and 'Coulter' embroidered on the hood. Aunt Kathy gave the baby a stacking toy and some hair bows. Caleb and Susan bought her a plastic tea set and a dress. Tris' parents gave their granddaughter a child-sized armchair with her name embroidered in pink on beige upholstery. Tris gave Ava their gift last. It was an activity table perfect for her to stand by and entertain herself with all the colorful things to flip, turn, and push.

Ava loved opening the wrapping paper, and often got more excited about that than what the packages contained. She cheered and clapped her hands every time she revealed another package hidden under the brightly-colored paper and bows. Tris and Eric thanked everyone on Ava's behalf, and encouraged the birthday girl to give hugs and kisses.

When the last package was opened, Tris grabbed a trash bag and started to gather the paper mess. Eric and Andrew exchanged knowing glances as Eric passed the birthday girl to her grandpa.

"I have one more thing," Eric said to the assembled guests as he sat back down in the recliner.

Tris was confused. They had agreed to give Ava the activity table for her birthday and to save the other things they bought for Christmas at the Priors.

"Come here, Duchess," Eric said gently. Tris stopped bagging up wrapping paper and walked to where her boyfriend sat. He pulled her across his lap and leaned his head against her shoulder.

"I don't know if there has ever been a first birthday party born of this much joy and pain," Eric began.

Tris put her arm around Eric as everyone became quiet and thoughtful.

"One year ago I was completely alone," he continued. "I was living in a filthy apartment with two other guys. I had just graduated, but was unemployed. I had no family, and I was grieving over the death of my parents a year earlier and what I thought was the loss of my unborn child. I was in a dark place," he confessed, looking around the room at everyone.

Tris drew Eric closer.

"Then the clouds shifted a little, and a ray of sunshine broke through my gloom," he said, smiling up at Tris. "My former student and kind of friend sent me a text and invited me to come to her house on Christmas day. It's incredible now to realize that I became part of a family that day. It's unbelievable that I held my one-day-old daughter and didn't know she was mine. That day with Ava, Tris, and the Prior family changed my life."

Tori sniffled, and Amar reached for his sister-in-law's hand. The two of them had known Eric since he was their student, and they had watched him suffer in silence that fall. They knew as well as anyone there how much he had struggled, and how much the Priors had changed his life.

"Tris and Ava's first meeting is a whole other layer to this story," Eric continued. "I will never stop appreciating how Tris saved my daughter's life. I will never forget the way she gave of herself to love and care for a baby she thought would just be in her life for a few days. Ava's life is a miracle. My family…" Eric choked a bit on the powerful word, "my family is a miracle. This party and that little girl and her future are a miracle. I am overwhelmed by all the miracles, and there's only one thing I want to give my daughter for her first birthday. I want her mommy, not her real mother, but her _true_ mother, to share our last name. Tris, will you marry me?"

Eric pulled a small black velvet box out of his pocket and popped it open with one large hand. Inside was a gorgeous vintage-looking ring with a pear-shaped diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds, all set in yellow gold.

"Eric," Tris breathed in shock as her eyes darted back-and-forth between Eric's loving face and the beautiful ring.

"I love you, Duchess," Eric said nervously. "Ava loves you, too. We're already a family. Let's make it official and legal. Marry me. Adopt Ava. What do you say?"

"Yes," Tris whispered. "Yes," she said louder. "I love you. Yes."

Eric crushed Tris to his chest as the friends and family around them broke out in cheers and applause.

"Ay!" Ava cheered loudly. Cheering and clapping were some of her favorite things to do.

Tris and Eric kissed, and he slipped the ring on her finger.

"I believe my beautiful fiancee made us lunch," Eric announced around a broad grin. "Let's eat!"

.

That night, when the house was empty, the party was cleaned up, and Ava was put to bed, Tris and Eric laid together in their big bed.

"One year ago I sat at the dinner table with my parents and Caleb," Tris began. "We were in awe of the series of coincidences that led to me finding Ava. I had no idea that that discovery was just a part of everything God was about to bring into my life. I love you, Warrior."

"I love you, too, Duchess," Eric agreed.


	37. Chapter 37

Two months later:

"I hate February," Tris grumbled to a classmate as she sat down in her desk. "It's just so cold."

"Tell me about it," the girl said. "And we have_ so_ much homework. I need a snow day to get caught up."

The girls laughed and continued chatting as they waited for the professor to arrive.

Tris felt her phone buzz in her pocket and pulled it out. A strange number was displayed on the screen. _Probably a sales call_, she thought, rolling her eyes as she glanced at the clock and accepted the call.

"Hello," Tris said.

"Is this Beatrice Prior?" a male voice asked.

"This is," Tris said politely.

"Tris, this is Brian Knight from the police department. We met after the break-in at your parent's home?"

"Yes," Tris said, remembering the kind officer even as she began to panic. "Is everything okay? Did someone break in to my parents' house again?"

"Tris," Brian interrupted. "Eric and Ava have been in an accident."

Tris felt the world stop, and she nearly passed out before she remembered to breathe. Her classmate saw the look on her face and grabbed both of their backpacks as she led Tris out of the crowded room.

"They're going to be just fine," Brian assured Tris. "They're at the hospital getting looked at, but they're both fine. Ava seems to be completely unharmed, and they're looking at Eric right now. Can you get down here?"

"Yes," Tris said, almost automatically. "You're at Memorial?"

"Yes," Brian said. "We're at Memorial - in the emergency ward. Drive carefully, Tris. Eric and Ava are fine and Elizabeth and I are here with them."

"Yeah," Tris said distractedly as she hung up.

She looked at her classmate in shock. "I have to go," she said. "My fiance and daughter were in an accident. Brian said they're okay, but I have to go to the hospital."

"I'll tell Dr. Novatny," the girl offered.

"Thank you!" Tris called as she began to run out of the classroom building.

Tris ran all the way across campus and through the parking lot to her car. She tossed her backpack and purse into the passenger seat and, with shaking hands, inserted the key in the ignition.

"It's okay," she said out loud to herself. "Brian said they're okay."

Tris repeated that over and over as she drove to the hospital. She parked in the lot and sprinted to the emergency entrance.

"Eric and Ava Coulter?!" she asked the attendant at the desk.

The woman flipped through some papers and clicked at her computer before looking up at Tris.

"And you are?" the receptionist asked.

"Tris Prior," she replied. "Eric's fiancee."

"Mr. Coulter is still being examined," the receptionist explained. "If you'll just take a seat over there, someone will come and get you when he's ready."

"What about Ava?" Tris asked.

"Are you the child's mother?" the receptionist questioned.

"Y… Well, no," Tris explained. "She doesn't have a mother. She calls me mommy."

"But you haven't adopted the child?" the receptionist asked, eyeing Tris as if judging whether or not she was planning to kidnap the baby.

"I can't," Tris explained with growing desperation. "We're not married yet. I need to see my baby! I need to know she's okay!"

Tris' raised voice got the attention of everyone in the waiting room, and she blushed as they stared at her.

"Ma'am," the receptionist scolded. "I need you to calm down and take a seat in the waiting room. If you cannot control yourself, I will have security escort you out."

"My daughter was in a car accident," Tris growled at the woman, careful to keep her voice quiet.

"I understand," she replied, "and we're taking good care of her. Now go take a seat and someone will be with you shortly."

Tris' mouth hung open, and she stared at the woman for a moment. Utterly defeated, she turned to face the waiting room full of people. There were several doors in the space leading back to treatment areas. Tris didn't know where to go. Then she heard a familiar cry.

"Ma-ma!" Ava's pitiful sob came from the left side of the room.

Tris hurried in that direction and dropped into the chair nearest the hallway where Ava's voice was coming from.

"Ma-ma!" the baby cried again, and Tris began to sob. Her daughter - her baby girl - was just down that hall, and she was scared and possibly hurt. She wanted her mommy, and all Tris could do was sit there and cry along with Ava as she waited.

Tris' phone rang, and she pulled it out of her pocket to look at it. The caller ID showed the same number that called her at school, so she answered it.

"Brian?" she sobbed into the phone.

"Tris?" Brian asked, and she cold hear Ava wailing over the phone. "Where are you?"

"In the waiting room," Tris said. "They won't let me in."

"What!?" Brian roared, and Tris heard Ava's wailing increase. "I'm coming out there."

The phone line went dead, and just seconds later the large police officer burst into the waiting room.

"Oh Tris," Brian said, his anger softening at the sight of the sobbing young woman. "Come with me."

"I… can't…" Tris sobbed as she broke down completely. "They… won't… let… me…"

"Tris," Brian interrupted. "I'm a police officer. I'll take care of it. Come with me."

Tris nodded and stood up. Brian placed a hand on the small of her back and escorted her down the hall. They followed the sound of Ava's cries to an exam room where Officer Elizabeth, Brian's partner, was pacing back and forth, bouncing the sobbing toddler in her arms as she tried desperately to soothe her.

The second the distraught little girl caught sight of Tris, she screamed, and it was all Elizabeth could do to keep Ava from falling to the floor as the little one fought to get to her mommy.

Tris ran across the exam room and scooped Ava into her arms, holding her close to her chest. Mother and daughter clung to one another and sobbed, and Tris wearily dropped into a chair along the wall. After a moment, Tris relaxed her hold on Ava and proceeded to look her over. Just as Brian had promised, there wasn't a scratch on her.

"She's really okay?" Tris asked the officers as Ava put her thumb in her mouth and laid her head on Tris' shoulder.

"Completely unharmed," Elizabeth promised.

"Then why is she back here?" Tris asked.

"She's waiting for Eric," Brian explained. "We had to keep her until he was ready, and she wouldn't quit crying, so they left us back here rather than send us to the waiting room."

Tris took several deep, shaking breaths. "Where's Eric?" she asked, watching to two officers so she could assess their reaction to the question.

"He needed an MRI to rule out a concussion," Brian explained. "He passed; there's no concussion, but it took some time. He had to wait for the open-sided machine, remove his piercings, and stuff like that. They also had to stitch up a cut on his arm and clean up some glass and scratches. He'll be here any time."

"Should we go back to the waiting room since Ava calmed down?" Tris asked.

"I think we should stay here," Elizabeth said, exchanging a look with Brian.

"Why?" Tris asked, holding Ava tighter as fear crept up again.

"I can't… We can't… Um," Brian began, trying to find the right words. "Technically Ava is in _our_ custody until Eric is released. I brought you back here for Ava, but she can't leave without him."

Tris slumped in defeat. She ran her fingers through Ava's golden curls and nodded at the police officers.

"Well," she said in a defeated tone. "Thank you for that at least. I'm glad it was you two. You guys have been great."

They sat quietly for a few minutes. Tris hummed off and on as she stroked Ava's hair and back. The baby dozed, worn out by all her crying. Brian and Elizabeth busied themselves with their tablets, exchanging quiet words about their work every now and then.

Suddenly a booming voice tore through the relative quiet. "Where is she?!" it demanded.

Brian leapt to his feet, but Tris just smiled at the baby sleeping in her arms. "Sounds like Daddy's back," she said.

Elizabeth and Brian smiled wryly, and Brian stepped out into the hall.

"Eric," the women heard him say through the curtain that served as the door to the exam room. "You need to calm down. Ava is fine. Tris is with her."

After a beat of silence, Tris heard Eric reply. "Okay," he said calmly. "Let's get this done so I can get out of here."

.

Eric and Ava both took long naps that afternoon, exhausted by the stress and adrenaline of the morning. They had been driving along on the way to daycare when someone ran a stop sign and t-boned Eric's truck on the driver's side. Thankfully, the truck was tall and the car that hit them was not, which kept Eric from being hurt worse than he was.

The truck had broken windows on the driver's side, a cracked windshield, and some body damage. Eric had a number of bruises and scratches, a sizeable cut on his left forearm that needed twelve stitches, and stiff muscles that he knew would last for days. The other vehicle was older, and was totaled by the front-end damage. The driver had whiplash and significant bruising and scraping from her airbag deploying. Ava was completely unharmed, saved by her properly installed car seat in the center of the truck's back bench seat.

Tris spent the afternoon nervously pacing and cleaning downstairs while Eric and Ava napped. She tried to do her homework, but couldn't concentrate. She peeked in at her sleeping baby and fiance several times, just to assure herself that they were alright.

The school day at Factions ended at 3:30. At 3:32, Tris' phone rang with a call from Tori.

"Hey Tori," Tris greeted tiredly.

"Is everyone alright?" Tori asked, skipping the greetings. "For real? Is Eric okay? Was Ava with him? Is she okay?"

"Tori," Tris interrupted. "They're fine, I promise. Eric was driving Ava to daycare when they were hit by an idiot who blew a stop sign. Eric has some cuts and scratches, and Ava is completely fine."

"Oh good," Tori said, breathing a sigh of relief. "I've been worried about you guys all day. Were you with them?"

"No," Tris said. "I had gone to school. The police called me and I met them at the hospital."

"And how are you feeling?" Tori asked sympathetically. "Are you okay?"

"Not, um, not really," Tris confessed. "That was scary, Tor. And they wouldn't let me go to Ava at the hospital until Eric came out. Fortunately one of the officers was an old friend of Eric's, and he took me to Ava anyway."

"Why wouldn't they let you be with your daughter?" Tori asked, and Tris heard anger in her voice.

"She's… she's not mine, Tori," Tris explained as emotion began to overwhelm her again. "Not legally anyway. I don't have any kind of custody rights. I just… I sat in the waiting room and listened to her cry for me until Brian found out and came and got me. It was awful."

"Oh Honey," Tori soothed. "I'm so sorry."

Tris choked back sobs as she bore her heart to her friend. "The state won't let me adopt her because we're not married. Eric has a will, and he filled out some paperwork that gives me rights if he's unconscious or something, but at the hospital it didn't matter. I didn't have the papers with me anyway, and he was alert and everything, so I don't think it would have mattered. She's been my baby since the day she was born, Tori. I had her before Eric did. I'm the first person she had, and the only mom she's ever known. She's just, she's _mine_, but she's not. And there was nothing I could do. And there's nothing I _can_ do until we get married!"

"And that's two years away," Tori concluded sadly.

Tris and Eric had set their wedding date for late May, two and a half years after their engagement. Tris wanted to be twenty-one when they got married, not nineteen, and she wanted to finish college. But more than that, she wanted the dream wedding that she and Natalie had talked about since Tris was old enough to know what a wedding was. She wanted the church ceremony and the ballroom reception. She wanted the white dress, champagne toasts, and to dance with her father and Eric. She wanted Ava to be big enough to be the flower girl and be part of the ceremony.

But planning all of that would take time, especially with Natalie and Andrew moving to Washington DC. They had to schedule all the shopping, tasting, and booking around Natalie's visits home and Tris' school schedule. Since she was already living with Eric and Ava, Tris had been content to wait to get married. They set a date, and Tris and Natalie booked the church for the ceremony and the hotel ballroom for the reception before the Priors left for Washington.

"Two years feels like forever," Tris moaned. "I thought I could do this, but I don't know. Look how much has happened to us in the past year! Now I have to get through two more years before I have legal rights to my own daughter! It's maddening!"

"I know," Tori soothed. "I wish there was something you could do. That little girl belongs with you - belongs _to_ you. But unless you get married, we just have to hope that nothing happens to either of them in the meantime."

"I know," Tris said resignedly.

Tori continued. "You probably should have lied at the hospital, Tris. You weren't going to leave without Eric, so you should have just said that Ava is yours. And you should probably start carrying those papers from Eric in your purse. That way you have them with you. Maybe the hospital staff would have let you in if they knew that Eric wanted you with Ava."

"Maybe, I guess," Tris said. "I just hate being reminded of how fragile our little family is. Other than Ava, Eric has only one living relative - an uncle he hasn't seen in years. My family is all far away. We have each other, and we're happy like that, but legally it just doesn't count. I hate that she can be kept from me. How is that what's best for her?"

"I know," Tori said. "I'm so sorry."

Tris sniffled as she tried to control her emotions. "I probably should have napped too," she joked, trying to lighten the mood. "Obviously I'm a bit shaken up."

"You have every right to be upset," Tori said. "Your family was in an accident. That's scary. I'm glad everyone is okay, though."

"Me too," Tris said.

Tori gently changed the subject, telling Tris about little happenings at Factions. She eventually even got the younger woman to laugh, and they planned a double date for the following weekend. Tori had Tris smiling again by the time their conversation ended.

Eric and Bud had hit it off and become good friends. When they originally met at the photoshoot, they clicked with one another. When Bud brought photos to the Priors' home, they had exchanged phone numbers.

Bud had been with them at Andrew's election party, where they introduced him to Tori. When Tori did a tattoo cover-up for the photographer, they ended up hanging out together late into the night. After his tattoo was finished, Bud took Tori for dessert, then they went back to her place to watch a movie. They had a lot in common and really got along well.

Bud had come with Tori to Ava's first birthday party, and he and Eric went out to shoot pool about a week later. Bud was a former alcoholic, and also didn't drink. Eric appreciated his wisdom on the subject, and having a friend with whom he could socialize without alcohol. He ended up telling Bud all about his drinking history - how it led to Ava's conception, how he embarrassed himself texting Tris, and how he nearly lost her when he came home drunk. Bud, in turn, told Eric about his past and the toll that his drinking had taken on his health and his first marriage. The two men bonded, and as Bud and Tori's relationship was also developing, the two couples had become close.

Tris thought about their growing friendship with Bud and Tori and the many other things they had to be thankful for. She tried to keep herself calm - after all, Eric and Ava were fine, and they were safely at home together. But the near-miss shook Tris deeply and eroded her confidence, making her re-think a lot of things in her life.


	38. Chapter 38

_**...Two and a half years later**_

.

**E: The speaker at my graduation was better.**

**E: And he didn't drone on this long.**

**E: And he's currently letting Ava play on his phone, so he's pretty much my favorite person.**

**T: I hope you get along just as well after the ceremony…**

**E: You don't have to do this. The wedding is in two weeks.**

**T: I'm tired of lying and pretending. I need to do this.**

Tris put her phone to sleep and slipped it in the pocket of the dress she wore under her graduation gown.

Thanks to the college classes she took during high school, it had taken Tris three years to finish her bachelor's degree in child development, including a summer internship with the American Family Foundation's Illinois chapter. She hadn't worked during her school years, but had raised Ava with Eric as he provided financially for all three of them.

Tris had shared life with Eric, raised Ava, and gone to school while planning their wedding. Now she and Eric were two weeks away from their big day, and she was about to blow everything up. Eric tried to talk her out of it, but Tris was done. Done pretending. Done living a lie. _Done_.

She stood with the other graduates when her program was called, and fingered the slip of paper in her hands. Step-by-step she got closer to the stage as graduates were called. When she got to the stairs, Tris handed the paper with her name and honors to the emcee, then climbed the small staircase to the platform.

"Beatrice Coulter, suma cum laude," the announcer called.

Tris grinned broadly as she crossed the stage. Their secret was out there.

After the ceremony, Tris filed out with the other graduates and hurried to the place where she had arranged to meet her family. Just like at her high school graduation, Ava was the first to spot Tris.

"Mommy!" The three-and-a-half year old called from her perch on Eric's shoulders.

Tris smiled. Ava was a beautiful little girl. She strongly favored her father in coloring, and her fine golden blonde hair still curled, though it had grown quite long. Her eyes were more blue than Eric's grey, and between that and their shared expressions and mannerisms, people were often surprised to learn that Ava wasn't Tris' biological child.

"Hey Sunshine!" she greeted her daughter, who wiggled and reached for her.

Eric lowered the toddler to the ground, and Tris picked her up as Eric wrapped his arms around both of his girls.

"I'm so proud of you, Duchess," Eric said as he leaned in for a kiss.

"You grad-u-ate-ed!" Ava said, carefully sounding out the word she had been hearing a lot.

"Yes she did," Natalie said as she took her turn hugging Tris. "And she did a good job."

"Were you a good girl during the ceremony?" Tris asked Ava.

"Uncle Caleb brought me a new coloring book. Daddy! Where's my princess book? I have to show Mommy!"

Tris set the squirming little one on the ground so she could help her daddy dig in their bag for the all-important coloring book.

Caleb and his fiancee, Susan, took turns hugging Tris. Caleb had graduated the year before and was going to medical school closer to home. After just a few months back in the area, he had proposed to Susan, and they had a fall wedding planned.

After them, Tori and Bud took turns hugging Tris. The trainer/tattoo artist and photographer had become Tris and Eric's closest friends. The two couples were often together, and "Auntie Tori" and "Uncle Bud" had a room in their home set up just for Ava, with toys galore and a single bed. When Bud and Tori eloped during spring break, George, Amar, Tris, Eric, and Ava had been the only ones invited, and Tris had been honored to serve as Tori's sort-of bridesmaid and sign as a witness.

Andrew was the last to hug the graduate. "Practicing your new last name, Sweetpea?" he questioned Tris.

"Um, actually," Tris said, looking to Eric, who just smirked at her in amusement. Obviously he wasn't going to be any help. "That kind of, uh, _is_ my name."

The assembled family members stared at her in stunned silence while Eric, Tori, and Bud just smiled.

"But… but… the wedding!" Natalie said in a quiet but panicked voice.

"No," Tris insisted, reaching for her mom's arm. "Nothing changes with the wedding plans."

"You eloped?" Caleb asked in a shocked voice. "Why?"

"And when?" Andrew asked.

Eric chuckled. "I told you to stick with the plan," he said to Tris as he stepped up to stand behind her. "We were keeping it to ourselves and planning the wedding as if we were just a normal engaged couple. But somebody insisted on letting the cat out of the bag and using her legal name at graduation."

"Why?" Caleb repeated.

"Ava," Tris explained, pointing at the little one now perched high on Bud's shoulders. "I really struggled with living off Eric and not really, legally being her mom. I didn't have any rights and couldn't make decisions about her care or anything. It ate at me - especially after they were in that car accident. So we got married and I legally adopted her."

"Now?" Susan asked. "After all this time? You couldn't wait a few more weeks?"

Eric chuckled again and put his hands on Tris' shoulders. "Tris and I got married on Valentine's Day," he said. "Two years ago."

"Two years," Natalie breathed, reaching for Andrew's hand. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Mommy?" Ava interrupted. "Can we go?"

"Soon," Eric promised. He and Bud exchanged a quick look, and the older man suggested taking Ava on a walk around campus for a little bit.

"Good idea," Tori said, whisking the toddler away from the family drama that was brewing.

"I'm sorry," Tris said when her daughter was out of earshot. "I was selfish. I just… I wanted _everything_. I wanted to be married and to adopt Ava. But Dad was just sworn in as a senator, and you were moving, and Caleb was in Baltimore, and we had just set the wedding date and put a deposit on the ballroom. Two years was too far away and I wanted to legally adopt Ava - I _needed_ to adopt Ava. So I convinced Eric to go through just the legal parts. Bud and Tori went with us to the Justice of the Peace, and we got married. I adopted Ava, and we otherwise just kept things the same."

"But why didn't you tell us?" Andrew asked.

"I didn't want to bother you," Tris tried to explain, though her reasoning sounded lame now. "I wanted to have the wedding with my family like we always dreamed, Mom. I want Dad to walk me down the aisle, and to wear my dream gown, and dance with Eric at our reception. I tried to convince myself that I could have it all - the elopement for Ava and the wedding for real. But as time passed I've felt more and more guilty for not telling you."

"I'm sorry too," Eric said. "I knew how much it meant to Tris to adopt Ava and have rights as a parent, and I knew how much the wedding meant to her, too. I agreed to the elopement because... well, because I wanted to be married to her for one thing, but because I knew it would give her peace about Ava. I just made her promise that the wedding would go on as planned and that we wouldn't tell anyone. I thought if people knew we were already married it might take some joy out of the wedding plans, or Tris might give up on her dream because it didn't 'matter' any more."

"Graduation was the first time it really became an issue," Tris said. "Anything legal is pretty private. My license, passport, and credit cards say Coulter, but no one sees them. Last names just don't come up in everyday life among friends and family. But today they were announcing my name, and I didn't want to lie or keep hiding. You guys should have known all along. I'm sorry."

"I get it," Caleb said. "You're a mom. You have to think of Ava first. With all the years we spent with foster kids in and out of the house, we understand the value of parental rights more than most people. I'm glad that Ava has been secure with two loving legal parents. As far as I'm concerned, you adopted Ava two years ago, but you're marrying Eric in two weeks."

"Thank you!" Tris said with obvious relief. "That's how I think of it, too. Eric and I are excited to celebrate our commitment at the wedding, even if we had to do the legal part early for Ava."

"I think we all understand why you did it," Andrew said, Natalie quietly nodding in agreement, "but why didn't you tell us?"

"That's my fault," Eric said. "I was afraid that if everyone knew, Tris wouldn't get the wedding she wanted. I didn't want her to give up that dream because it no longer mattered from a legal standpoint. We weren't trying to trick you, I assure you. I've offered to pay for things many times, and I want you to know that offer still stands. We didn't keep this from you so you would pay for the wedding."

"Of course you didn't," Andrew said, holding up a hand to stop Eric's rambling. "I'm happy - no, I'm thrilled - to give my daughter her dream wedding. And I understand about doing what you had to do for Ava. I think we're just hurt that you kept it from us."

Tris' shoulders slumped and she looked down at her feet. "At first I didn't feel bad about it," she said quietly. "Like I said, we eloped for Ava. But when we had an anniversary last February, I began to feel guilty about it. Not about getting married; I just felt bad about not telling you. Until today Bud and Tori were the only ones who knew. But we've celebrated two anniversaries, kind of, and we've been planning this wedding. I just felt guilty, like we were tricking you all into this wedding when we didn't have to. So I told Eric that I was graduating under my legal name, no more hiding, and finally telling the four of you the truth."

"Is that why you refused to have a bridal shower?" asked Susan, who would be Tris' Maid of Honor alongside Tori as Matron of Honor.

Tris nodded, still not looking at anyone. "That and the fact that we're already living together. We don't need more stuff. We're not actually just starting out in life, and I didn't want anyone to spend money on me."

"Which explains why you wouldn't register for wedding gifts," Caleb deduced.

"We're comfortably established," Eric said with a shrug. "We just want to celebrate with everyone."

"And it's going to be a wonderful day," Andrew said, trying to ease the tension. He glanced back and forth between his daughter, who still looked guilty, and his wife, who still looked hurt. "For now we have a graduation to celebrate. Let's gather up Ava, Bud, and Tori and get to the restaurant."

.

Later that night, when Caleb was out with Susan and the Coulters had gone home, Andrew found himself consoling his wife as they got ready for bed.

"We've always been so close!" Natalie moaned. "I'm… I'm just… I don't know. I'm hurt, and sad, and kind of a little angry. Andrew, we weren't invited to our daughter's wedding! She didn't even tell us about it for two and a half _years_! I mean, I get the need to adopt Ava, but... but I talk or text with Tris almost every day! And she didn't think to tell me that she and Eric got _married_!?"

Tears of frustration began trickling down Natalie's cheeks, and she dashed at them angrily. "Maybe we shouldn't have gone to DC when she was so young," Natalie reasoned. "Do you think we abandoned her? Does she?"

"Nat," Andrew soothed. "Things worked out the way they were supposed to. God brought Ava and Eric into Tris' life at just the right time. She was never alone. Think about it, Sweetheart. Tris needed to adopt Ava so she could take care of her no matter what. But their marriage meant that Eric could do the same for Beatrice. You, me, and Caleb were all on the east coast. If, God forbid, Tris had gotten in an accident or something, Eric was all she had. Their marriage allowed him to support her - legally _and_ in spite of her stubbornness."

Natalie chuckled. "Our girl has always been independent," she said.

"And our granddaughter is just like her," Andrew said.

Natalie sighed. "I do feel better knowing that Ava was covered. Those three belong together."

"It still amazes me how the pieces fit together," Andrew said as he climbed into bed. "Tris was in the right place at the right time to save Ava. We were in the right place at the right time to reunite her with Eric and help them adjust. Then Eric and Ava were there just when Tris needed them. They didn't elope to leave us out of their plans, Nat. In fact, I'd say they did what they had to do while saving the wedding for our family."

"I know," she said, shutting off the light and climbing in bed with her husband.

"So when do you think they'll give us more grandchildren?" Andrew asked eagerly.

Natalie swatted at her husband gently. "Goodnight, you old grandpa," she said.

"Goodnight, Grandma," he replied, and Natalie could hear the smile in her husband's voice.

.

**A/N: I almost ended this story at the engagement, but I had some good ideas for a dreamy wedding with an adorable little flower girl in the mix. So I decided to spring an elopement on you _and_ give you the wedding. There's lots to see on my Pinterest board - search for AnnLiberty (all one word). Thank you for all the follows, favorites, and reviews!**

**XOXO, Libby**


	39. Chapter 39

Tris woke up to chubby little toddler toes wiggling in her face. As her eyes fluttered open, Ava giggled.

"Mommy," the little girl whispered loudly, "are we getting married today?"

Tris chuckled at her daughter. She thought Ava might be more excited about the wedding than anyone. The little girl had taken to referring to the event as _our_ wedding, or saying that _we_ were getting married. She was excited to wear her purple flower girl dress and have her hair and nails done, eat the pretty cake, and dance on the wooden dance floor in the ballroom.

"Yes, Sunshine," Tris said, smiling at her daughter. "Today is the day."

"Yay!" the little girl cheered, clapping her hands as she sat up on the bed.

Tris glanced around for the clock in her childhood bedroom-turned-guest room, hoping that it wasn't too early for Ava's less than quiet enthusiasm. She was relieved to see that it was after seven in the morning.

Tris and Ava climbed out of the queen bed they had shared for the night. Aunt Kathy was sleeping in the single bed usually reserved for Ava, and Andrew and Natalie were sleeping in Caleb's room since their bedroom set was in the apartment in DC. Caleb had stayed with Eric at the townhouse. Tris thought it was silly to shuffle everyone around like that, but Natalie insisted that Tris wanted the whole wedding experience in spite of being legally married for the past two years, so she was going to get all of it. Tradition had prevailed and Tris had been separated from Eric so he wouldn't see her on their wedding day until she walked down the aisle.

Ava reached for Tris' hand as they walked downstairs, following the smell of coffee and breakfast coming from Natalie's kitchen.

.

The soft background music in the sanctuary changed to something louder and more intentional, and Eric took a deep breath. The minister smiled, and opened the side door. He led Eric into the sanctuary filled with friends and loved ones.

While the pastor positioned himself on the raised platform, Eric carried two roses to the front pew on the groom's side of the aisle. He stopped for a moment to look at the picture of his parents on their wedding day before setting the flowers in front of it. _They would have loved Tris_, Eric thought to himself. _And they would have spoiled Ava_. The thought made him smile as he took his place, alone, at the foot of the altar.

The music changed, and Andrew and Natalie walked in from the back of the sanctuary with Ava between them. The jumbled order of the processional had been Tris' idea, because she liked how it told their story without saying a word. The Priors walked the flower girl to Eric, who picked her up. Andrew seated Natalie on the bride's side of the aisle, then went back out. The music changed, and it was time for the bridesmaids and groomsmen to enter in pairs.

First came Tris' friend and Eric's former student, Lynn, wearing her Marine Corps dress uniform. Lynn was thriving in the Marines, and they'd been lucky that she could be there for the wedding. She was escorted by Four, who had remained in contact with Eric over the years. Since his father's conviction, Four had visited Chicago several times, and lately he'd been talking about moving back to the area.

The second pair to walk down the aisle were Tris' friend Marlene, and Eric's friend and former roommate, John. Marlene wore the deep purple bridesmaid's dress that the girls had chosen together. It was long and flowing, with wide, sash-like straps that criss-crossed in the front. John wore a grey tuxedo like Eric and the other groomsmen, with a grey vest and purple tie.

Third came Christina, escorted by Zeke. As they passed his family, Zeke winked at Shauna, who sat near the front on the groom's side with Uriah and Hana. Hana's arms were full holding her grandson, Zeke and Shauna's three-month-old baby boy.

Bud and Tori were the next to enter. Tris hadn't wanted to pick between their best friends and her brother and future sister-in-law, so Bud and Caleb were Eric's co-Best Men, while Tori was Tris' Matron of Honor, and Susan was Maid of Honor. Caleb and Susan were the last couple to enter.

The music changed again, and the minister stepped forward to stand near Eric and Ava. He invited the congregation to stand, and Tris and Andrew stepped through the double doors at the back of the sanctuary.

"Wow," Eric breathed. Tears filled his eyes at the sight of his bride in her soft white strapless dress. The gown had a lace overlay and a full skirt that pooled out behind her. When the first tear trickled down his cheek, Ava wiped at it.

"Don't cry, Daddy," she said, making a few people near the front giggle.

"It's happy tears," he whispered. "Look how beautiful Mommy is."

Ava nodded vigorously. "She's a princess," the little girl said.

Eric smiled widely, then kissed his daughter on the cheek. "She's a Duchess," he said.

Tris and Andrew stopped at the front of the congregation. "Who gives this woman to be married to this man?" the minister asked.

"Her mother and I do," Andrew replied.

Tris turned to face her father, who lifted the veil off her face before kissing her on the forehead. "I'm with Caleb," Andrew said quietly so only Tris could hear him. "You adopted Ava two years ago, but today I give you to be married. You're a good mom, Sweetpea, and you did what you had to do. But in my mind today is the day my little girl gets married. And you picked a wonderful man to marry."

"Thank you, Daddy," Tris said, choking up.

Eric took a step down from the platform, and set Ava on the floor by his feet. As practiced, Ava took Andrew's hand and the two of them sat in the front row beside Natalie.

"Duchess," Eric said, offering his hand to Tris. "You look absolutely stunning."

Tris blushed, and Eric smirked. After three years together and more than two years of secret marriage, she still blushed at his compliments, and he loved that.

The minister spoke about marriage and family. He had known Tris since she was a little girl and had known Eric since he came into the Priors' lives. He touched on Eric's loss when his parents died, and referenced the Bible story of God providing Adam with Eve as a companion and helper. He brushed briefly and sensitively over Tris' rescue of baby Ava and referred to the verse in Psalms that says that God places the lonely in families. The minister tenderly wove together Tris and Eric's love story with God's provision, and many people at the ceremony shed a tear or two at the beautiful tale.

At the conclusion of his remarks, the minister moved to guiding Eric and Tris through their vows, and then to the giving of rings.

"I've waited a long time to give you this," Eric said after Caleb handed him Tris' ring. The pear-shaped solitaire surrounded by a border of tiny diamonds on a narrow, diamond-encrusted band was finally complete with the wedding ring/wrap added to it. The wrap was two V-shaped sections, one above and one below the engagement ring. Each V was made of tiny round and marquise-shaped diamonds, and created a delicate, lacy, filigree-type look. It was entirely unique and managed to look both delicate and impressive, with a subtle vintage flair.

Eric slipped the ring on Tris' finger. "With this ring," he said at the minister's prompting, "I thee wed. It is a token of my love and devotion. All that I am and all that I have I give to you. This ring is a symbol of that vow."

Tris repeated the process, sliding the solid, heavy ring onto Eric's hand. "With this ring, I thee wed," she said. "It is a token of my love and devotion. All that I am and all that I have I give to you. This ring is a symbol of that vow."

With their vows and rings done, the minister called Ava to join her parents and explained that the couple had some additional vows. Eric picked up his daughter with one arm and put his other hand in Tris'.

"Ava Hope," Tris said, smiling at her daughter as she took her hand. "You didn't grow in my womb, and we don't share DNA. But on the day you were born, my heart knew you. From the first time I held you when you were a tiny baby, I loved you. I named you Ava because you were, and still are, full of life and sunshine. Your middle name is Hope because anything is possible for you. I promise to love you and your daddy with all my heart, and be your mommy for the rest of our lives. You are my daughter. You always have been, and now you always will be."

Tris and Eric smiled at Ava and then each other before Eric spoke. "Ava Hope, thank you. Before you were even old enough to know what you were doing, you picked the very best mommy in the world, and we get to keep her forever. I promise that I will love you both all of my life. I will protect you, provide for you, cheer for you, and care for you no matter what, because that's what families do."

Tris turned to Susan, who handed her a small jewelry box. She turned back to Ava and opened the box, showing the toddler a beautiful necklace. The pendant was white gold in the shape of a flower. A tiny diamond was set in the center and five marquise-shaped amethysts made up the petals.

"This is for you to have when you get older," Tris explained to the toddler. "You can wear it today because a wedding is a very special day. This necklace will always remind you of this wedding and the promises that we made to be a family and love each other."

Ava nodded solemnly and reached out to touch the sparkling pendant.

"Can I put it on you?" Tris asked, and Ava nodded again.

When she got the necklace secured around the little girl's neck, Tris and Eric each gave their daughter a kiss and set her back on the floor.

The minister looked down at Ava. "Are you ready?" he asked. She bounced on her toes and nodded as he handed her a small white sign.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the minister announced, "may I present to you Eric, Tris, and Ava Coulter!"

On cue, as carefully practiced, Ava turned around to face the congregation. She held up the sign which said, "And we lived happily ever after!"

"Eric, you may kiss your bride," the minister said.

Eric didn't have to be told twice. He pulled Tris into his arms and kissed her. When they pulled apart, Tris was blushing bright red. She composed herself and turned to face the cheering crowd of family and friends.

Eric helped Ava down the stairs, then swept Tris into his arms and carried her down the aisle after their daughter. Tris threw her head back and laughed in surprise as the congregation applauded.

.

Tris' friends kept an eye on Ava while the bride, groom, and their family greeted their guests. When everyone assembled outside, Eric gathered his daughter in one arm and took Tris' hand with the other. They stepped outside and ran through the crowd to the waiting limousine. Eric opened the sunroof and held Ava so her top half stuck out the opening and she could wave at everyone as they drove off.

.

While their guests made their way to the hotel where the reception was being held, the bridal party had photos taken. Bud's assistant, Raven, took the group photos, just as she had taken pictures during the ceremony.

Bud himself had come in earlier to take some special pictures, including Ava in her mommy's wedding dress, and Tris and Ava smiling at one another under Tris' veil. He had also captured photos of Tris and the bridesmaids, then took Ava for a while so Tris could finish her last-minute preparations and he could capture pictures of Eric and his daughter.

When the photos were all taken, the girls helped Tris remove the detachable train from her dress before they piled in the limos and went to the reception.

Just like everyone warned them, the reception was a blur to Tris and Eric. They smiled until their cheeks hurt, talked to hundreds of people, took more pictures, and got to eat at least some of their dinner between well-wishers.

When it was time to dance their first dance as husband and wife, Eric led Tris onto the dance floor. They expected the live band to play Etta James' classic _At Last_, but after the bandleader/emcee introduced them, a strange drum line began to play. Tris looked around, thinking there was a problem with the band. When a guitar riff joined the drums, Eric laughed. Tris blushed furiously when she recognized the song coming through the speaker system. _Hot for Teacher._ Of course.

"Caleb!" Tris exclaimed as more people recognized the song and began to laugh. She buried her face in Eric's shoulder, but he just continued to laugh.

"Let's dance," he said to Tris when the song kept playing. Eric spun her around, and they laughed as Bud cat called from the edge of the dance floor. By the end of the song everyone was laughing together.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the emcee said to the crowd, "for those of you who don't know, Eric was Tris' teacher before they got together. The bride's brother, Caleb, has always called this their song, and he felt like it just wouldn't be right if they didn't dance to it on their wedding day."

"Thank you, Caleb," Tris yelled sarcastically.

"Your wedding is next," Eric added, and several people cheered.

"Now let's get back to our regularly scheduled program," the emcee said.

The band began to play, and Eric and Tris enjoyed their dance. When it ended, the crowd clapped politely, and the bandleader began to speak again.

"Usually at this time we ask the bride's father and the groom's mother to join us. Since Eric's mother is no longer with us, Tris has requested a double father-daughter dance. Let's welcome Senator Andrew Prior and Miss Ava Coulter to the floor."

Eric smiled at Tris as Andrew brought his granddaughter to her parents.

"I love you," Tris whispered in Eric's ear. "Your parents would be so proud of the husband and father you've become. I'm sorry I never got to meet them, but they're with us always."

Tris kissed her husband on the cheek, then turned to Andrew with a smile.

Eric squatted in front of Ava. "Miss Ava," he said to his daughter, "may I have this dance?"

"Yes Daddy," Ava said in her sweet little voice as she attempted a curtsy.

Eric picked Ava up as the band began to play an instrumental version of the Beatles' _Here Comes the Sun_.

"Duchess," Eric said, turning to Tris as his eyes welled up with tears.

Tris let go of Andrew and took Eric and Ava in her arms as Eric began to cry. _Here Comes the Sun_ was the song his mother sang to him as a little boy, and it always reminded him of her.

"Why are you sad?" Ava asked.

Eric lifted his face from Tris' shoulder. "I miss my mom," he said to his daughter. "She used to sing this to me when I was little."

"You should tell Ava about them while you dance," Tris suggested.

Eric smiled and kissed his wife. She turned back to Andrew as Eric spun Ava on the dance floor.

Tris, Eric, Ava, and their guests enjoyed an evening full of wedding traditions and personalized twists. When Eric and Tris cut the cake, they gently fed one another small bites while Bud snapped pictures. When they moved to feed Ava a slice, Eric smeared frosting on his daughter's face. Ava had dissolved in a giggling fit, causing everyone around them to laugh as well.

Tris threw the bouquet, and it was caught by her very startled Aunt Kathy. Eric tossed Tris' garter, and it was caught by Uriah Pedrad, who squealed like he'd caught a snake, and threw it at someone else.

"I don't want to be the next one to get _married!" _he exclaimed.

When the dancing was done, the food was eaten, the bar was closed, and all the traditions were fulfilled, Andrew and Natalie took Ava home for the night.

Eric and Tris checked into the bridal suite.

"I love you, Mrs. Coulter," Eric said as he carried Tris across the threshold and into the suite.

"I love you too, Warrior," Tris replied.

.

**The end.**


End file.
